Shadows of My Heart
by MultipleShipper
Summary: This story mostly follows the story-line for Pokemon Ranger: Shadow's of Almia but with a Kellyn/Hajime X Rhythmi twist.  VoiceMailShipping because there isn't enough of it out there.
1. A Rhythmic Angel

Because there isn't enough VoiceMailshipping in the world. (Kellyn/Hajime X Rhythmi)

Chapter One: A Rhythmic Angel

(Kellyn)

First day of Ranger School, nothing to worry about right? That's what I keep telling myself anyways. I passed the initial capture challenge easily, yet I still feel a little nervous. Oh well. I guess that's just a natural reaction. Kind of like a little kid on their first day of school, only I'm seventeen, and going to Ranger School.

Opening the door to my assigned classroom, Ms. April begins to introduce me. Right now she seems nice enough, but earlier was a completely different case. The person who ran the capture test began to joke around, saying something about world domination. Ms. April didn't take too kindly to this, and began to fuss at him. I couldn't help but smile because his reaction to her yelling at him was next to priceless.

Ms. April then leads me to the front of the class, where I introduce myself a bit. I decide to be simple and just state my name, that I moved here from Fiore, and all the basics. The whole time though, I kept scanning the two rows of desks, wondering where she was going to seat me. There's a desk in the back completely empty, but the blonde girl in the front row also has an empty seat at her desk.

I don't mean any offense to her, but I almost hope I don't have to sit by her. To me, she looks like she could be very chatty. Not something I would exactly like on my first day. Not to be stereotypical though. "Why don't you go sit next to…" she pauses to scan the room. Something tells me I'm not going to get the seat I want. "Next to Rhythmi." She said, motioning towards the blonde.

I smile, but it's a silent loss for me. Oh well. Maybe Rhythmi will prove me wrong.

Ms. April is quick to go into a lesson. The lesson is over something I already tested over back in Fiore, so it quickly bores me. I let my blue eyes wonder around the classroom. The guy with spiky, auburn hair next to me also seems very bored. However, my eyes land on Rhythmi. She too looks bored.

I watch as she continues to doodle something on her paper. Her long blonde hair falls from its spot, blocking my view. I decide to look back up at Ms. April again. I at least have to let her think that I am paying attention. When I decide that she won't be suspicious, my eyes wander back towards Rhythmi.

However, she catches me looking at her, or is it I who has caught her staring? Her deep yellow eyes lazily return to her paper. I find it funny that she doesn't seem to be too worried about me catching her staring. I also find it odd that her eyes seem to interest me. I've never seen such a deep yellow before.

When I look back up at Ms. April, she finally seems to have taken notice of how bored everyone seems. She gives us an apathetic smile. "You all really need to calm down now. Seriously." She said sarcastically.

A few of the bored faces turned into slight smiles. It wasn't a great joke, a little on the overused side, but it's better than this I suppose. I decide that it's time to give her a sarcastic remark. "Well, normally I would give a joke like that a low B, but I'm gonna give you an A for effort." I say aloud.

A few snickers fill the air. That went over a little better than I thought. I slightly look over, and I even see Rhythmi giggling a bit. Strange, I call success on this one. Her laugh seems to have a very angelic, pardon the pun, rhythm to it. Eh. It's probably nothing. I do tend to be a bit of a class clown, so making people laugh has always been a victory for me.

"Well, this is a tough crowd, so I guess that's a compliment." Ms. April says with a smile. "I guess since we've already covered this, we can skip this. I'm going to go talk to Mr. Lamont about something, so until then, feel free to talk amongst yourselves." The brunette teacher says before leaving the room. She sure must have a lot of trust in everyone to not go wild.

Suddenly, attention seems to turn on me. I get bombarded with questions, all ones that I already answered. "Geez, do you people even listen?" The voice of Rhythmi asks. Her voice is soft and innocent, like an angel…why am I comparing her to an angel? Weird.

I turn to look at the blonde, noticing that she has turned in her chair to face me. "You're one to talk Rhythmi. Do you even know his name? You weren't even paying any attention when he was talking." The guy with spiky hair challenges.

A smile appears on Rhythmi's lips. "His name is Kellyn Hajime. He is seventeen, moved from Fiore, has a little sister, and has aspired to be a Pokémon Ranger since he was five. Now, who wasn't paying attention, Keith?" She asks.

The guy known as Keith just grumbles something inaudible, and Rhythmi begins to giggle. "Thought so," she commented, moving some her blonde hair away from her eyes.

I can already tell she's not going to be a Ranger. "You're not going for a Ranger position are you?" I ask her. She gives me a questioning look. "What makes you think that?" She asks.

"Well, based on everything I've gathered so far, you're obviously able to multi-task easily, you seem to have a good memory, and something just screams to me: Operator." I explain. She smiles at me. "Right on target." She says.

Everyone continues talking to me, and soon Rhythmi goes back to doodling on her paper. Once I am not longer of much interest, I lean forward on the desk to see if I can see what Rhythmi is drawing. Once again, her hair is blocking most of my view. The bit I do see seem to be just words. Probably song lyrics. Her handwriting seems to be nice though. Granted, don't most girls have nice handwriting?

* * *

**Finally, lunch period.** I thought our classes were never going to end. However, I have decided that I like this school more than my one back in Fiore. I seem to be a little more popular here, but it's not like social status really pertains any interest to me. I'm a new student, so as of right now, I'm completely on the market.

I've got it down to a science. Whenever there is a new student, just about everybody is interested in them. Why? Simple really. They just want you to be on their side. They want to know if you're friend material, and suitable for their friendship needs. Once they've figured you out, and either befriended you, kept you as an acquaintance, or decided you weren't worthy, you're yesterday's news.

While walking aimlessly around the halls, I realize that I have no clue where I'm supposed to be going. I've somehow managed to end up by the library. I guess I can ask someone around here.

Walking inside, I begin to wander through the vast shelves of books. I didn't realize how large the school actually was. I must have been blind to not notice this place.

"Say Rhythmi," a male voice says, loud enough for me to hear. Looking through the gaps in the shelf, I notice Rhythmi talking to some other blonde boy. She's standing with one of her legs crossed behind the other, and she seems very interested in what he has to say.

I guess I can assume that this is her boyfriend? They seem like an odd couple, but who am I to judge?

"Yes, Isaac?" She asked. Huh. Her tone is a lot brighter than earlier. I almost feel…upset by this. Now I'm determined to get her to speak with a bright tone all the time. This Isaac guy can't be the only one who brings out that tone. He just can't.

Grabbing a random book, I quickly turn the corner to interrupt them. "Oh, hey! Could you tell me how I'm supposed to checkout a book? Every school seems to do it differently." I ask, doing my best to appear innocent.

They both go to answer me at the same, but Rhythmi ends up letting Isaac talk. "Just take your book to the main desk, hand the lady your book, show her your student ID, and you're good." He answered.

I thanked him before heading my way back to the front of the library. They resume their conversation, Isaac saying something about a project. Sure. I'll believe that's all he wanted to talk about.

I place the book on the counter, while digging in my pocket for my ID, and while looking back in the direction of Rhythmi and Isaac. It still bothers me to see them talking together. Eh. Aren't I the jealous type? I blame the Almian air.

When I turn back to face the brunette receptionist, I notice her odd look. I hand her my ID, and begin to wonder why she is giving me this look. Please don't tell me that I picked a girls book.

She hands the book back to me, and all of my fears are realized. I just hold the book. _"The Daring Book for Girls"_. I start to laugh. "Well, I could lie to you and say that I'm just getting this for someone, or that I'm just trying to understand girls better, but this is humorous enough as it is." I say, continuing to look over the aqua colored book.

She smiles at me. "At least you're honest." She says. I continue to grin. "This is just what I get for listening in on peoples conversations. Thank you again." I say, walking off with the book. This could provide a few laughs.

But right now, I should keep this out of sight. It could cause a few unpleasant rumors. Stuffing the book in my backpack, I head out of the library.

I notice Rhythmi walking a few paces ahead, so I hurry to catch up with her. "Rhythmi!" I call. The blonde turns around, waiting for me with questioning eyes.

Once I've caught up to her, I give her a smile. "Would you do the honors of escorting me to lunch? Because I have no clue where I'm supposed to be going." I ask, my tone sounding a little too hopeful. "Sure," she calmly answers.

We begin to walk, Rhythmi taking a slight lead. I hate silence, especially the awkward type. I have to fill it. "So, who was that guy you were talking to?" I decide to ask, even though I already knew his name at least.

"Isaac? He's like the smartest guy in the whole school. He's most likely going to be the Valedictorian. Most people tend to think he's a total nerd, but he's actually pretty hilarious. You just have to understand dry humor." She explained, a small smile on her face.

Well, if they aren't dating, I think she certainly likes him. I don't know why, but this makes me…jealous? I swear, my first day in my Almia school and I'm already going insane.

But it's good to know that Rhythmi enjoys dry humor. This could prove useful later on. However, right now, I'm still curious as to if she and Isaac are dating. "Is Isaac your boyfriend?" I ask. She giggles at the question.

Did I say something funny?

"Me and Isaac? Don't be absurd. He's a great guy, but he always talks about how he'll never fall in love, all because of some stupid theory of his." She explained.

Okay. Well, their not together, but something tells me that isn't the whole story. I don't know why, but that just doesn't seem like the whole thing.

Besides, Isaac sounds like he's still in the whole, 'girls have cooties' stage. He'll never fall in love; that's the most ridiculous thing I think I have ever heard! Maybe not right now, but never? I don't believe that it's possible to not fall in love. It may be odd hearing this from a guy, but that's just what I've always been told.

We continue to make light conversation until we reach the cafeteria. Keith and a few others invite us to join them. I accept their offer, but say that I would like to get my food first. Keith joins me in the line, but I notice that Rhythmi stays behind.

Odd.

When I return to the table, I notice Rhythmi sitting away from everyone, staring out the window. I sit on the seat next to her, making her jump a bit. "You look a million miles away." I comment. She gives me a half-smile.

"That's Rhythmi for you. Always has her face buried in a book or her head in the clouds." Keith comments, sitting across from us. "Say what you like, Keith. It's…whatever." She says in a yawn, resting her head on her hand.

The whole lunch hour, she doesn't eat anything. It worries me. When I asked her about it, she only told me that she wasn't feeling well. I call B-S on this one. Oh well. Maybe I'm just overthinking this. Maybe she actually doesn't feel too good. I'll wait and see tomorrow what she does.

* * *

**The rest of the day drags by slowly**, and whenever I listened in to some of the people around me, I always heard them whisper something about 'initiation'.

By the end of the day, well past when all the teachers have left, I realized that I wasn't just hearing things.

"Dare I ask what all of this is about?" I ask, looking at everyone surrounding me. Just about everyone from my grade, and maybe a few of the juniors, seem to be in the dorm's common room. "It's time for initiation for our newest student. Everyone had to do it." Keith says, his arms crossed.

"Okay, what do I have to do?" I ask, my voice brimming with confidence. Keith smirks. "You have to go back to the school and gather the Stylers we hid. We do realize that you still don't completely know your way around the place, so Rhythmi has agreed to be your guide." He explains.

This could be interesting.

The blonde girl steps forward, a grin on her face. "If we're not back by eleven, he's failed." She said, looking at everyone around us. We head out of the dorms, Rhythmi leading the way.

We stop at the corner of the senior's building, scanning the field ahead of us. The school building is just within reach, but getting caught is something we obviously want to avoid. Though I wonder, who are we avoiding? I thought all the teachers left for the night.

Rhythmi suddenly sprints off, leaving me behind. I hurry to follow her, and I cannot help but notice once thing: the way the moon reflects off her hair is really pretty. It just seems to give her a slight glow, and she just looks…pretty.

Okay, that was odd. I still blame this Almian air for my odd thoughts. Different levels of chemicals, and different elevation, it can cause a person to go crazy…right?

Once we got inside the school, the first few Stylers were easy to find. Rhythmi said that I only had one more to find, and that she doubted that I would find it.

"Oh come on, have a little more faith in me Rhythmi." I said in a false begging tone. I watched as she rolled her eyes. "Just hurry up. You've probably got about thirty minutes left, and you better not screw this up." She said.

Wait…why is she so concerned about if I complete this or not? "What happens if I don't complete this in time?" I asked, stopping in the middle of the dark hallway. Rhythmi bumped into me, and quickly jumped away, pretending to dust off her skirt. "You'll end up like me, shunned from everyone." She said bitterly.

What…she didn't seem shunned. I blink my eyes, confused. "What do you mean 'shunned'? You seem to be in, I guess you could call it this, but with the 'popular' crowd." I babble. This just doesn't make sense.

Everyone was talking to Rhythmi today, making jokes and everything…what?

She gives me a dry laugh. "Only because of you. Why do you think Keith and everyone else pick on my whenever they get even the smallest chance? Why do you think Isaac is the only person I really talk to?" She asked, her tone almost sounding disgusted.

"What do you mean I'm the reason?" I ask. None of this is making any sense. This school was more wrapped around popularity than I had assumed. "Everyone is always interested in the new student, and since you were hanging around me, they probably felt obligated to talk to me." She explained.

I could just barely see her cross her arms. "Rhythmi, I don't think that's the case. I do realize that the whole 'new student' title makes me of interest for everyone, but if they didn't want to talk to you, they wouldn't have. They did, so I think you're just overthinking this whole thing." I replied, taking an unintended step closer towards her.

She looks towards the ground. "Just keep looking for the Styler. The sooner you find it, the sooner Keith redeems me." She huffed.

So, Keith is behind her misery. He's just lost all respect from me. What a jerk. If I do find that he is the reason for Rhythmi behaving like this, he and I will have a few problems.

I was about to ask her another question, but my voice is overshadowed by a much louder one. "Who's down there?" Somebody yells, making us both freeze. I think it's that teacher next to our class, Mr. Kincaid.

"Run!" Rhythmi hisses, grabbing my arm. Running past the computer labs, we make a sharp turn down one of the halls. It's a dead end.

I can still hear footsteps down the hall, and being so close to the computer labs, the darkness is less likely to cover us. If we're caught, I doubt the punishment will be light. After all, it's me, a male, sneaking around the school with Rhythmi, a female. This cannot look good by any stretch of the imagination.

Looking around, we try to find somewhere to go. Most of these hallways look like they lead to dead ends. Then it hits me, the library. "Come on!" I whisper, now being the one to grab Rhythmi's arm. She follows me without hesitation, and we soon reach the doors I was looking for. Locked.

Well…isn't this perfect. At least we're completely encased in the shadows now. This gives me one final idea as the person's footsteps draw even closer. I grab Rhythmi once again, but this time, I pull her close to me. I can feel my cheeks burning at our close proximity, but that's something I'll have to think about later.

Pressing against the wall, we try to remain as unnoticed as possible.

My arms are wrapped around her as if I'm trying to protect her from something, and I can't help but like it. I've never actually held anyone this close before, and I must say, it feels nice.

The person appears at the end of the hall, making Rhythmi press herself even closer into me –if it were even possible.

When the footsteps begin to fade away, I know that we're safe. Thank Arceus we avoided that.

We continue to stand like this for a few more seconds. I wish it had lasted just a little longer.

She pulls from my grasp, her tone nervous. "S-sorry about that." She whispered. I told her that it was fine, and also apologized. After waiting a little longer to make sure that the teacher wasn't coming back, we headed back towards the computer labs.

Rhythmi told me not to tell anyone, but she led me to the final Styler. It's good to know that she doesn't want me to be a social outcast, but as a part of my stupid pride, I wish I had found it myself.

We return back to the dorm rooms, just in time. Keith certainly seems surprised that I found them all, but when he decides to congratulate me, I cannot help but feel anger towards him. What Rhythmi told me still echoes.

Heading off in separate directions for our separate dorms, I quickly fall asleep once where I will be sleeping is decided.

My dreams are restless. I keep replaying my 'initiation' over and over. When I finally wake up, I realize that I'm the first awake.

Light just barely filters in through the curtained windows, and the smell of food being cooked wafts through the air. Shifting on my side, the clock on the wall says I have about forty more minutes till I actually have to be awake. There's no way I'm going to lay here for that long.

Once I'm awake, there's no going back to sleep. Getting out of bed, I grab some of my clothes, and leave the room to go change.

In the common room, I bump into Rhythmi and a few other girls. Rhythmi looks so tired, it's pretty adorable. Her hair seems to hold a lot of volume to it, and she just has an overall look of weariness.

She looks up at me with her yellow eyes, glaring. "Comment, and you die." She threatened. I think that threat was cute, so I just have to reply. "What? I was just going to say that you look beautiful this morning." I reply, my tone completely void of any sarcasm.

Her look of anger changes over to confusion, and a small smile tugs at her lips. "W-whatever." She dismisses, continuing her way to the girls bathroom. I hear a few giggles from the girls that were surrounding her, and some whispering too.

Sorry if that comment causes you any trouble, Rhythmi. But I cannot lie.

She does look beautiful, even when she's dead tired…wait….

Why am I constantly thinking like this? Almian air, I swear…

* * *

_**A.N/ Well, this was the first chapter to my newest fiction, 'Shadows of My Heart'. **_

_**Kellyn X Rhythmi is probably one of my all-time favorite parings. And, there just doesn't seem to be any of it out there. **_

_** Well, I plan to change that! ...Hopefully! **_

_**What I plan to do for this story is, not go completely through with the story line, because obviously a lot happens while Rhythmi and Keith are stationed in Fiore till you become a Top Ranger. I do plan to go into a few of those missions, but I also plan to give Rhythmi's perspective on being separated from Kellyn. If I could explain it better, I so would. **_

_**But yes, I'm giving this a different feel from the games. Rhythmi, I'm planning for her to have a few issues. A few have already been revealed, but in the next chapter, we'll find out about them a little more. Also, unlike the games, she's a little more serious, and not so...girly. But yes, I have changed her hair style just a little. When I first started playing the games, I didn't realize how poofy her hair was. o.o **_  
_**Keith, yes, he's a jerk. I don't think I'll keep him like that for long, but who knows? **_  
_**Kellyn...I feel like I've made him a sissy...I dunno. What was with that girly book? Oh, we haven't seen the last of it. I plan for that to become some comedy relief for the beginning of the story. **_

_**Well, thanks for taking the time to read. Comment if you wish, but I won't complain if you don't. **_

_**The next chapter will be in Rhythmi's point of view, so until then. **_

_**~Victoria. **_


	2. Confusion

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Two: Confusion

(Rhythmi)

Can this day just end yet? I'd rather not sit here, bored to tears, having to listen to the same lesson we learned last week. Actually, when I really think about it, I learned this my sophomore year. Why do they feel the need to reteach us this useless stuff?

"So I hear Ms. April is bringing in a new student." Keith says, talking over everyone else. He's such a loudmouth. If I could smack anyone, it would be him.

"I wonder what they're going to be like." The girl in the desk next to mine asks.

The door to the classroom opens, making everyone fall silent. Most of them turn in their seats to look at the person, but I'd rather concentrate on my drawing. It's a simple drawing of a Roselia doing Petal Dance, and a few phrases written in cursive around it. I'll just wait till Ms. April forces the person to the front of the room to introduce themself.

It turns out to be some boy. Kellyn Hajime. Easy enough to remember.

I listen to him all while continuing to draw. I pray that she doesn't sit him next to me. I don't know why, but I just don't want him next to me. "Why don't you sit next to…" moment of truth. "Next to Rhythmi."

Great. Just great. Ms. April, you are my favorite teacher now. I swear, if he tries anything funny, I'll make sure he doesn't even think about doing it again.

Ms. April quickly follows up with a lesson on the importance of a good relationship between Ranger and Operator. I learned this a long time ago. Why is she going over it again? Oh well. I guess it's always good to go back over the basics…as much as I despise it.

During the lesson, I decide to stop drawing, so I can look around. I never really got a good look at Kellyn, so I decide to look over at him. Brunette hair, and ocean blue eyes…oh wonderful. He's caught me staring. Whatever.

Lazily, I look back at my paper, continuing my drawing. Attracting attention is something I would like to avoid right now.

I look briefly up at Ms. April to show her that I am paying attention…for the most part. I think she's finally realized how bored everyone is. "You all really need to calm down. Seriously." She says, her tone laced with sarcasm. I smirk a bit.

"Well, normally I would give a joke like that a low B, but I'm gonna give you an A for effort." Kellyn says.

A few light laughs fill the air, and I can't help but join in. I'll admit, I thought it was pretty funny. Sure, it wasn't a completely original joke, but hey, I'll take it.

Crossing her arms, Ms. April replies with a smile. "Well, this is a tough crowd, so I guess that's a compliment. I guess since we've already covered this, we can skip this. I'm going to go talk to Mr. Lamont about something, so until then, feel free to talk amongst yourselves."

Ms. April trusts us way too much. I'm honestly surprised that this class hasn't done something stupid yet.

When the door closes behind her, all attention turns on Kellyn. Typical. Let's all swarm the new kid! Let's ask all the questions he's already answered.

Kellyn seems to be doing his best to re-answer the questions, but this is just getting too frustrating. I can't concentrate on my drawing. "Geez, do you people even listen?" I snapped, turning in my seat to face Kellyn. His blue eyes meet mine as Keith throws a stupid remark at me.

"You're one to talk, Rhythmi. Do you even know his name? You weren't even paying any attention when he was talking."

I give him a sassy smile. He walked right into this one. He should know that I'm one of the best when it comes to multitasking. "His name is Kellyn Hajime. He is seventeen, moved from Fiore, has a little sister, and has aspired to be a Pokémon Ranger since he was five. Now, who wasn't paying attention, Keith?" I ask.

He grumbles to himself, making me giggle. "Thought so," I comment, moving my blonde hair away from my eyes.

Oh great. It seems to be frizzing. That's what I get for trying to actually sleep a little later. Oh well. Back to my normal, get-up-before-everyone-else-just-to-straighten-my-hair self. I'm sure this is a wonderful first impression for Kellyn…wait…why do I care what he thinks?

I then notice that Kellyn is still staring at me. I don't know why, but it's making me nervous. "You're not going for a Ranger position are you?" He asks.

Shaking my nervousness, I give him a questioning look. "What makes you think that?" I ask. He smiles, and I'll admit, he has a nice smile…again, why do I care?

He explains to me that what he has gathered from me says Operator. I cannot help but smile. It almost makes me happy knowing that he drew all of that from a few seconds of just observation. He'll certainly make a great Ranger if he keeps this up.

I tell him that he's right on target, and then everyone resumes talking to him. Smiling, I resume my drawing. With everyone's tone much softer, it's so much easier to concentrate.

While I sketch over the lines again, I find myself writing a few lyrics from a song I heard awhile back. "Maybe I should keep this to myself, waiting 'til I know you better" is now written in the Petal Dance pattern. I have no clue why I wrote this, it doesn't even feel fitting to me, but I just felt like I had to.

I continue to drift in an out between listening to Ms. April when she returns, and drawing until the lunch bell finally rings. I swear I thought it was never going to ring. I'm quick to leave the class and hurry down to the library. After all, my friend can't wait forever.

Now, I may not be the world biggest fan of reading, but there isn't anything I love more than to relax on one of the libraries couches, reading a good book; or talking to Isaac. That's always a favorable option.

I wander through the vast shelves of books, in search for Isaac. Usually he's around the engineering section. He doesn't seem to be here though.

I find this concerning. He was acting a little odd the last time I saw him. He was distracted, and slightly fidgety. Certainly not like the Isaac I know. I wonder what could have made him like this?

"Hey, Rhythmi."

Looking over a few rows of books, I notice the blonde boy in the Operator Books section. Strange. What's he doing over here? Shouldn't I be in this section?

Walking over to him, I return the greeting. "Hey," I quickly reply. He looks up from the green textbook, and smiles at me. "What are you reading?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Just a standard Operator's Manual. I just wanted to read more about what you were going into." He stated. It makes me smile, because to me, it means he cares. "Why? Do you think I won't be a good Operator?" I ask, trying my best to pretend to be offended.

He shakes his head. "I have no doubt that you'll be an amazing Operator, if not one of the best. I've never doubted that." He replied as if it were just a natural response. Normally, it would make me blush, but right now, it doesn't. Instead, I spot something out of the corner of my eyes. Kellyn.

He looks completely lost as he wonders into some section of books. I wonder if he noticed me…I wonder why I am curious about this. Weird. "Say, Rhythmi." Isaac says, placing the book back on the shelf.

I look into his emerald eyes, which strangely don't seem as captivating as before. Once more, that's weird. Normally I'm lost in his emerald eyes, and normally I'm not aware of how cheesy that sounds. "Yes, Isaac?" I ask. He looks like he's struggling to say something, which is making me nervous.

I know better than to get my hopes up, seeing as he's already let his mind do the talking, not his heart, but hey. I can dream can't I?

"Oh, hey! Could you tell me how I'm supposed to checkout a book? Every school seems to do it differently." And just like that, Isaac's attention is diverted.

We both go to answer him, but I let Isaac tell him. While he briefly explains, I can't help but think Kellyn tried to ruin our conversation. I know I should be mad, but…I'm not? What is it about this boy that doesn't allow me to be angry?

Probably his 'innocent school boy charm'. That'll wear out soon enough.

When Kellyn walks away, I notice the book Kellyn is carrying. I'm tying so very hard not to laugh, but I'm fighting a losing battle. There is no way he actually picked that book. He was so eavesdropping on somebody –probably us– and grabbed it as a distraction. What a weasel.

Isaac asks me something about a project, completely ruining all of my hopes. Why do I get those up again? Oh yeah. I'm an idiot who is crazy for another idiot.

Oh well. I give Isaac a few ideas for his project with Mr. Kincaid, before heading off to leave the library. Right now, I would just love to head back to the dorm rooms. Sleep is something I could use. Too bad those are locked during the day.

Maybe I can go for a walk down by the Pledge Stone. Sounds like a better idea than sitting around here.

"Rhythmi!"

Oh great. What does he want? Stopping, I turn around to face Kellyn. I give him a questioning look, trying to make it look like I'm not angry.

Once he has caught up to me, he smiles.

Huh. His smile almost makes me want to smile. "Would you do the honors of escorting me to lunch? Because I have no clue where I'm supposed to be going." He asked, his tone sounding hopeful.

If he thinks he can win me over with his 'charm', he's got another thing coming. "Sure," I calmly answer, beginning to walk away. I take a slight lead.

I can tell by the way Kellyn is fidgeting that he can't stand the silence between us. "So, who was that guy you were talking to?" He asked. I figured he'd ask.

"Isaac? He's like the smartest guy in the whole school. He's most likely going to be the Valedictorian. Most people tend to think he's a total nerd, but he's actually pretty hilarious. You just have to understand dry humor." I explain, a small smile on my face.

Normally, I think I would be grinning like an idiot. Whenever I talk about Isaac, I smile, blush, and sometimes even fumble over my words. It's odd. Being around Kellyn, talking about Isaac almost feels…boring. I certainly am not myself today.

"Is Isaac your boyfriend?" Kellyn continues, seeming more interested in an answer this time. I giggle, making him even more confused. "Me and Isaac? Don't be absurd. He's a great guy, but he always talks about how he'll never fall in love, all because of some stupid theory of his."

Oh that stupid theory of his. If I could smack him for it, I so would. His thinking is, that no matter how innocent the relationship may seem, someone, somewhere, is torn to pieces because that person didn't fall for them. Due to that, he says that he never wants to know what it's like to be on the hurt end, so why bother? For a genius, he's pretty stupid.

Our conversation is very light, and strangely, it has me very relaxed. I'll admit, Kellyn does have the ability to make me calm. Maybe I won't hate him as much as I anticipated.

When we arrive in the cafeteria, Keith and a few other students invite us to join them. Just what I need. Keith. What a jerk. I'll never forgive him.

However, Kellyn is still…I guess you could say, 'innocent'. He accepts Keith's offer, leaving me to sit at the round table with everyone else. I sit near the window, allowing myself to be ignored.

I don't like how…confused I feel. Normally, I am able to be completely sarcastic with anyone, and everyone. Kellyn, however, seems to have some sort of aura, not allowing me to do so.

He's such a strange kid. He already can make me smile, laugh, and I feel like I can be who I am around Isaac. So far he's treating me like a human, which is far more than I can ask from anyone around here.

Suddenly, somebody sits right next to me, making me jump. Looking over, I see Kellyn. "You look a million miles away." He comments. I give him a half-smile. But, I feel…nervous…really nervous. I honestly can say that I don't like it.

"That's Rhythmi for you. Always had her face buried in a book or her head in the clouds." Keith comments in a sassy tone as he sits across from us.

"Say what you like, Keith. It's….whatever." I say, yawning. I look back out the window, trying to ignore the world around me.

Kellyn asks me if I plan on eating anytime soon. I tell him that I don't feel too well, but I don't think he completely believes me.

It's certainly not that I don't feel well, or that I'm not hungry. Trust me, I'm starving. But, I have horrible anxiety about eating around people, and one of Keith's comments from freshmen year still rings in my ears from time to time.

After lunch, I quickly leave the table, trying to avoid everyone. Kellyn tries to catch up to me, but I lose him in the crowd of people. Thank Arceus.

"Hey, Rhythmi." The voice of Keith stops me. I involuntarily shiver. This doesn't feel right. I look up from the ground, and notice the auburn-headed boy ahead of me, smirking. "Tonight is initiation for him. I think it's time you try to redeem yourself." He offered, walking closer to me.

I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I'm not up for your games, Keith. I don't need a social status to get through school. Especially not when I have to play by your rules to get it." Okay, that didn't even make sense to me. It all sounded better in my head, but I guess my mouth just can't form the words I actually want.

He gave a dry laugh. "You know, I figured you would finally want to be accepted again. I thought you'd be tired of Isaac being the only one who actually talked to you." He mocked.

My face feels warm. Great. I hate blushing. Especially in front of Keith. At least it's an angry blush. "I'm perfectly fine with just talking to Isaac. He has a heart, unlike the rest of you." I replied, trying to keep my tone steady.

Whenever I get angry, I tend to stutter and slur my words together.

Keith walks even closer, making me completely uncomfortable. How is it that I get stuck with him, alone? I though the halls were completely crowded a few seconds ago.

"He does? That explains why he is willing to reciprocate your feelings."

Reciprocate? That's a big word for Keith. Who'd he get to do his homework? I tell him that, and he smirks.

"When are you going to realize that you're falling for someone who won't catch you? Why can't you see what's in front of you?" I don't like where he is going with this…

I try to back away, but the wall keeps me from going anywhere. No. I can't be cornered. Every nerve in my body is telling me to run, to at least slap Keith, but I can't move. I want to scream, but my mouth won't open. Helpless is what I am…

Closing my eyes, I try to look away, but Keith grabs my chin with his hand.

Get away…

He moves me to look at him, but I keep my eyes shut tight.

I can feel his breath on my face.

Sick…twisted…get away… Why can't I move? Make it stop!

"Why can't you see that everything I do, is for you?" He asks, his tone quiet. It sends a violent chill down my spine.

Just before his lips could make contact with mine, a voice interrupts him. "Rhythmi!" Isaac.

When Keith looks over, I finally react by slapping him. Hot tears build in my eyes as I begin to yell. "How dare you? G-get away from me!" I yell, taking off in the direction of my class.

Rushing past Isaac, I stop around the corner to try to collect myself. I can't believe he almost kissed me! Of all the disgusting…eww!

"Keith, you shouldn't have done that!" I hear Isaac yell. Oh, now he sticks up for me.

"What are you going to do about it? If you don't make a move soon, somebody else will, and believe me, I know of a few people who would do worse to her." Keith mocked. I could practically hear him rolling his eyes.

Worse…? I know exactly what he is implying, I just hate that thought.

"Of course you would know them. You're one of them. If you want her to like you, how about you start by being nice for a change? Rhythmi isn't stupid. She won't fall for your 'bad boy' attitude." Isaac continues. Poor Isaac. He sounds so nervous.

It isn't like him to speak up, but I just wish he wasn't speaking like a brother…I wish I actually meant something to him.

"That's all too cliché for me. She won't 'fall' for me because she likes you."

My eyes go wide. No. No, no, no, no, no! Keith didn't! He didn't just say that! I never wanted Isaac to know! Granted…I'm pretty sure he had it figured out…but still! If he didn't know, I didn't want him to find out like this!

I take off again. I can't face him now, tomorrow, maybe never again. Maybe I'm just being melodramatic, but…I hate this!

Why does everything happen to me?

"Rhythmi, you're late." Ms. April comments when I walk in the room. I give her a nervous smile. "Sorry. I-I got held up." I said. Well, it wasn't exactly a lie.

* * *

**I can't believe I agreed**…Arceus this is humiliating.

"So Rhythmi has agreed to be your guide." Keith says, finishing his explanation of Kellyn's indication.

Stepping forward, I wear a smirk. I'm not one to show that I'm still upset over past incidents…though it is killing me. "If we're not back by eleven, he's failed." I say, scanning over everyone, purposely avoiding Keith's eyes.

Though, I won't let him fail. I don't care if it's against rules, I won't let him fail. I refuse to let him become like me…again, why do I care? Kellyn is just another stupid boy…another stupid boy who is still grinning at me.

My stomach feels like it has flipped. I feel sick, and I still would like to go back to sleep.

Taking the lead, we head out of the dorms. Stopping at the corner of the senior's building, we scan the clearing.

A light breeze rolls in off of the ocean. I could stand here forever.

I feel Kellyn slightly bump into me. He's standing really close to me, and right now, this just makes me terrified. I hurry away, leaving the brunette behind. He's quick to catch up with me.

Once we make it inside the school, Kellyn is pretty quick to find most of the Stylers. Though, he seems to be having trouble with the last one. Same as me.

I know where it's hidden, and I desperately want to tell him, but I should give him more time. "I doubt you will find the last one." I say, attempting to mock him. I know that it may seem a little rude, but hey, it will probably make him work harder. After all, don't most guys obsess over pride, or something?

"Oh come on, have a little more faith in my Rhythmi." He begs, continuing to walk down the dark hallway. When he turns to look at me, I roll my eyes. "Just hurry up. You've probably got about thirty minutes left, and you better not screw this up." I say.

"What happens if I don't complete this in time?" He asks, stopping in the middle of the hall. I didn't see him stop, causing me to bump into him. I quickly jump away, fiddling with my skirt. Well, if he wants to know, I might as well tell him. "You'll end up like me, shunned from everyone." I reply, sounding a little bitterer than I had intended.

He blinks his ocean blue eyes. "What do you mean 'shunned'? You seem to be in, I guess you could call it this, but with the 'popular' crowd." He rambles. Well, at least I know he's like me: he can't form a correct sentence when he's utterly confused.

I force a dry laugh. "Only because of you. Why do think Keith and everyone else pick on me whenever they get even the smallest chance? Why do you think Isaac is the only person I really talk to?" I ask in a disgusted tone.

I wanted to, but didn't add, "why do you think Keith likes to play with my emotions all the time?"

"What do you mean I'm the reason?"

Is he really this dense? I angrily cross my arms. "Everyone is always interested in the new student, and since you were hanging around me, they probably felt obligated to talk to me." I objected. Why do I have this sudden urge to cry? I know I hate reminding myself about how isolated I am, but it's never hurt this much.

Maybe it's just because I'm having to explain it aloud to someone.

"Rhythmi, I don't think that's the case. I do realize that the whole 'new student' title makes me of interest for everyone, but if they didn't want to talk to you, they wouldn't have. They did, so I think you're just overthinking this whole thing." He replies, taking a step towards me.

I look towards the ground. He may be right, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I already do that too much with Isaac. "Just keep looking for the Styler. The sooner you find it, the sooner Keith redeems me." I say, Keith's name like bile in the back of my throat.

I hate just saying his name.

A sigh passes Kellyn's lips before he goes to ask another question.

"Who's down there?"

Wait…that wasn't Kellyn's voice. We freeze. I'm almost positive that it's Mr. Kincaid.

"Run!" I whisper harshly, grabbing Kellyn's arm. We run past the computer labs. Great choice on my part. The light from the computer screens is making us more visible. If we get caught this will only look bad, really bad.

Me, a girl, sneaking around the school with a boy. This just screams trouble.

Looking around, we realize that most of these hallways lead to dead ends. "Come on!" Kellyn says, now dragging me. I follow him without hesitation, and we soon reach the library area.

I'm impressed that he remembered how to get here. Kellyn presses against the doors, but to no avail. Perfect. Just perfect. On the bright side, we're finally encased in shadows again.

The footsteps begin to draw closer, and I feel Kellyn grab me again. However, instead of dragging me away, he pulls me against him.

My face heats up, and I feel like I'm suffocating. He has a light grip on me, but my own blushing is making me warm.

I don't like this. I don't like this. Not one little bit. I hate this! Well, maybe it's not that bad.

Seeing the faint outline of a person at the end of the hall, I push even closer into Kellyn. Oh who am I kidding? I actually kind of like this. I feel myself blushing even more, and I am now completely grateful for the darkness. If Kellyn could see my face, he'd surly think I'm crazy.

The person walks away, and when the footsteps fade away completely, we continue to stand like this. I…I don't want to let go. As much as I hate myself for thinking it, I really like this. I can't let him think I'm some kind of weirdo.

I quickly pull away, but I swear I felt him try to grab me back. It was probably all in my head. "S-sorry about that." I nervously apologize. "It's fine, Rhythmi. I'm also sorry." He replied. I don't know why he's apologizing.

Deciding that we didn't have much time left, I led Kellyn to the final Styler. I just can't let him be isolated. It isn't for me anymore, it's for him. I don't want him to know what it's like.

We returned to the dorm rooms, with only a few moments to spare. I enjoyed Keith's look of surprise, but my guilty-pleasure disappears when he goes to congratulate Kellyn. Jerk.

Just before everyone had gone to their respectful dorm rooms, Keith pulled me aside and said that he intended to keep his promise. If he ever touches me again, even if it's on accident, he'll regret it.

Throughout the night, I randomly wake up, look at the clock, and go back to sleep. I'm always like this. I never actually sleep though the night. Sometimes, I don't even sleep at all. I don't think I have some type of insomnia; I just have bad sleeping habits. I can fix it anytime I choose…I think.

The morning finally arrives, and one of the other girl's alarms goes off. Some of the girls ignore this alarm, simply choosing to roll back over, and go to sleep. I groan as I sit up.

My hair is already a mess. Shower, here I come. Gathering my uniform clothes, me and a few other girls head out. I swear, whoever made this place was an idiot. Yes, let's put the girls bathroom on the boy's side of the dorm, and the boy's on the girl's side. Genius I tell you!

Looking up, I notice Kellyn walking out way. What's he doing up so early? I don't think I've ever seen a boy up before the girls. Weirdo. I glare at him when I see him smile a bit.

"Comment, and you die." I threaten, implying that he shouldn't comment on my hair. I hate it when people tease me about my hair. Yes, it gets completely messy and gains a lot of volume over night. It earned me the nickname 'cotton ball' back in grade school.

"What? I was just going to say that you look beautiful this morning." He says. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he actually meant it.

A smile plays at the corners of my lips, but I refuse to actually smile. "W-whatever." I dismiss, continuing my way to the bathroom. The girl on my right giggles. "Oh, looks like somebody has the hots for Rhythmi!" She comments, the girl on my left nodding in agreement.

I tell them to be quiet, only provoking them even more.

However, it still bothers me…did Kellyn mean that?"

* * *

**_A.N.:: What's this? An update, and it hasn't even been two weeks? I must be crazy! I actually don't know how fast this will be updated, but I just had good inspiration for this story, and heck, I still have inspiration for the next chapter! This could be a good thing._**

**__**

But I must say...typing the same dialogue over again is really annoying...kinda. lol.

Oh, and I've decided something: Chapters told by Rhythmi will be titled with a Pokemon's Move or Ability. Kellyn's chapters will be labeled as I please

But okay! In this chapter, we basically got to see what Rhythmi's day was like. We learn more about her 'problems', we learn that Kellyn was seeing Rhythmi completely different than she actually was, we figure out what she was drawing, and we learn that Keith is an even bigger jerk!

**_Don't worry though. I do plan to change his personality soon. As much as I jerk I've made him, I'm finding myself liking him even more. I guess it just goes back to my motto of, "like every character you write about, no matter what! You should love each and every one of them in some sort of way." ...or something like that. haha._**

**_Preview of the next chapter:_**

**____****"Say, let's play Twenty Questions."**  



	3. Twenty Questions

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Three: Twenty Questions

(Kellyn)

Chapter Rating: PG13+ because of the ending bit

Roughly two weeks pass by the time I finally settle into a spot in this silly school. I'm certainly not in the 'popular' crowd, but I'm not completely out of everything. I prefer calling myself the mediator. It's probably not the right term, but it feels right for me. Half the time I'm keeping Keith from picking on people, mostly Rhythmi though.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but I've noticed that Rhythmi has acted a little…odd around him. She just fidgets and tends to keep closer to anyone else around her. She also has stopped talking to Isaac.

That's something that I don't understand all together. Isaac asked me a few days ago if something was wrong with her, but I couldn't really give him an answer. After all, Rhythmi hardly talks. I told him if he wanted an answer, that he should probably ask her himself, but he told me that he tried that.

Apparently, whenever he tries to approach her, she basically runs away.

This only deepens my worry for the blonde. I've come to notice that not only does she never eat lunch, she usually doesn't eat breakfast, and hardly any dinner; she always looks tired, and every day just seems like it's wearing her out.

It can't be good for her, and I want to confront her about it, but what do I say? How do I even go about bringing it up? Once I figure this out, I certainly will try my hardest to help her.

Speaking of Rhythmi, she also has begun to become more popular with everyone. More people seem interested in talking to her now. I almost hate it though. They wouldn't talk to her until Keith approved her? This school is pretty low if you ask me.

It's a calm Saturday night, meaning we don't have classes tomorrow. This whole Monday through Saturday thing is kind of lame, but hey, at least classes are shorter on Saturday. I guess it works out either way. I just wish we didn't still have to wear button-up polo shirts, or something similar to dress code.

I still have about an hour till dinner, so I decide to take a walk down to the Pledge Stone. I've heard from Ms. April that just before graduation, one of the Area Rangers will be coming to teach a class out here. Sounds interesting to me.

While I descend the stairs, I take notice of a figure standing out on the pier. I think it's Rhythmi. Couldn't hurt to take a look.

A calm evening breeze drifts through the air, bringing with it the salty smell of the ocean. I must say, it's very calming.

Walking up to the pier, I realize that I was right. Rhythmi just seems to be standing on the edge of the wooden pier, completely oblivious to the world around her. I can see a smile on her face as another gust of wind blows her blonde hair around.

The sight makes me smile. It's good to see her so content. Should I even bother her? She seems so peaceful, which is completely different from her behavior all week.

Who am I to ruin her moment? I won't bother her.

* * *

**I don't see Rhythmi for the rest of the night, and it bothers me.** It makes me wonder if I actually should have said something to her earlier.

When I try to go to sleep, I find myself constantly waking back up. I try to force myself to go back to sleep, but it's just not working.

I guess I could go sit out in the common room. It's better than lying here for hours on end.

My exit is silent, and when I enter the common room, I notice that a few lights are still on. Sitting on one of the couches, is Rhythmi, reading a book. Where has she been all day?

"Hey, Rhythmi." I say, making the girl jump. She sure is skittish.

She looks over the couch, and seems confused by my presence. "Kellyn? What are you doing up so late?" She asks, closing her book. I walk over to her, smiling at her.

"I could ask you the same." I reply, taking a seat on the opposite side of the couch. She shrugs. "Couldn't sleep, though, that's nothing new."

For some reason, I have this sudden urge to make her smile. I want to see her smile the way she does whenever she used to talk to Isaac, or the way she was earlier. She has a nice smile; she just needs to show it off more. A simple joke won't work, so how should I go about this?

"What are you reading?" I simply ask. She gives me a nervous laugh as she looks at the book in her hands. "This? It's called '_A Prairie Christmas Collection_'. It's just a bunch of love stories. Lame I'm sure." She says bashfully.

How adorable, she's blushing. I love that she's acting like she's just admitted some huge secret. It doesn't seem like a secret to me. I thought most girls liked romance stories. Maybe I'm just being too stereotypical. "Not at all. I'll admit, I think some romance stories are actually pretty interesting." I admit.

I half-expect her to laugh at me. I wouldn't blame her. How many guys are willing to admit that they actually are okay with romance stories? Not many, that's for sure.

She smiles nervously, looking at her book, then back at me. "Really?" I nod a yes as she begins to play with the hem of her dark gray shirt. She places the book on the coffee table and pulls her legs up on the couch to herself. I take notice of the large Sneasel on her left leg.

"I take it you like Sneasel?" I guessed. She nods. "Yeah, it's one of my favorites. Sneasel and Roselia." She explains, looking at the Sneasel. She then looks up at me. "What about you? Any favorite Pokémon?" She asks.

I lean back, looking up at the ceiling. "Out of all of them? Tough choice I suppose. Pachirisu is probably up there, Sneasel too." I say.

She giggles a bit. Music to my ears.

I suddenly get an idea. "Say, let's play twenty questions." I suggest. She gives me a curious look. "Play what?" She asks. "Twenty questions. I'll as you ten questions, and you can ask me any ten. We have to answer them no matter how embarrassing the answer may be. Though, I promise to not ask too intimate questions." I explain.

She thinks it over for a second. "Sounds interesting." She agreed. "Okay. Since I came up with the idea, I'll go first. What's your favorite color?" I ask, smiling at her reaction.

"Simple question I guess. Ocean blue." She answers. I don't know why, but that answer makes me smile. "Your turn." I say, nodding my head a bit. "Okay…what's your favorite color?" She asks.

Stealing my questions eh? Cute. "Yellow," I answer without thinking. She smiles. Well, so far, mission 'Make-Rhythmi-smile-and-laugh' complete.

Now that I've gotten a basic question out of the way, time for a more in-depth question. "Have you had your first kiss yet?" I ask, making her blush. "No, I haven't. Even though I think I know the answer, what about you?" She returns.

I'm surprised by her answer. That almost seems…wrong to me. She seems like an amazing girl. Who wouldn't want to kiss her…wait…I probably should rephrase that.

"Nope. Not even a peck." I answer, taking delight in her surprised expression. "Really? I guess I didn't know the answer." She commented. I find it funny that she thinks I have been kissed.

"What's your ideal first kiss scenario?" I ask, making her blush even more.

She avoids my gaze and smiles as she thinks of an answer. "You're going to think that this is really lame, but okay. I wouldn't exactly say that this is for a first kiss thing, because I think all first kisses are usually awkward. Maybe I'm wrong, but I imagine a grassy, moonlit field, surrounded by Volbeat and Illumise. It's so cliché, but I think that would just be perfect." She answers, her cheeks a rosy red.

I smile. It's a cute idea, and to me, it fits Rhythmi. She giggles a bit before looking back up at me. "Have you ever dated anyone?" She asks.

I nod a no. "No." I simply answer. I've wanted to date a few people, but they've always told me that they'd rather just be friends. It still hurts a little, but hey, things happen for a reason, right?

It's now my turn for a question, but I'm having trouble thinking of one. Wait…I've got one. "Do you like anyone right now?" I ask.

She sighs. "I honestly don't know anymore." She answers, yawning. "I promise I'm not trying to avoid the questions, I just honestly don't know." She adds, leaning back to look up.

I laugh a bit. "Don't worry. I understand." I tell her. She gives me a shy smile. "Do _you_ like anybody?" She asks.

My smile turns into a smirk. Well, she asked. "I'm not completely positive, but there is someone who does hold my interest." I answer. She looks up at me, seeming to want more of an answer. "You're not going to tell me who?" She asks.

"You didn't ask who, and besides, it's my turn for a question." I reply. She rolls her eyes playfully at me.

We go through a few more questions, till we reach our last two questions to ask one another. I know exactly what I'm going to ask. "Why do you keep running away from Isaac? He's getting really worried you know." I ask, watching as she crosses her arms.

She looks angrily at her legs as she answers me. "He should know why. Can we leave it at that?" She says. This answer bothers me. I nod, allowing her to leave it at this.

"What's your family like?" She asks.

I smile again. "They're, interesting to say the least. My mother is very…conservative I guess you could say. My father is a typical farmer. He loves to be out in the fields, working with the Miltank, Tauros, and all sorts of other farm Pokémon, and there's my sister. I love her more than anything. I'd do anything to protect her. She's actually one of the reasons we moved here." I explain, my voice filled with pride.

Unlike some siblings, me and my sister actually get along. Sure, we do have our fights, but it's rare that we actually stay mad at one another longer than a few days. I just hope she's alright. I wonder if she's gotten my letter yet.

"They sound nice." Rhythmi comments in a light tone.

I look at her directly in the eye, and we just stare for a few seconds. I can feel my heart beat faster as she flutters her eyes, realizing that it's my turn to ask a question. "Y-your question?" She asks.

Well, I better make this good, seeing as it's my last. "It has something to do with what I've noticed. I've noticed that you hardly eat. Why?" I ask, watching as she grows nervous.

Maybe I shouldn't have asked. "I…just have really bad anxiety when it comes to eating around people." She answers.

I can't allow myself to believe that this is the only reason. That's it. I've decided. I'm going to help her. I can't watch her do this to herself.

Rhythmi yawns, and moves to sit on the edge of the couch. Oh great. I've probably upset her. I should've known that question was going too far…

"I'm getting tired, but I do want to ask my final question." She says, glancing at me. "Are you glad you moved to Almia?"

I sit up, moving ever so slightly closer to her. "Of course. If I didn't, I wouldn't have met you." I answer.

She looks at me, smiles, and then looks away. "I'm glad I met you, too. Goodnight, Kellyn." She says, standing up and walking to her dorm.

I continue to sit in my spot, watching the blonde beauty walk away. Yeah, I'm beginning to like Almia. I'm beginning to like it a lot…

* * *

**In the morning, I continuously miss my chance to talk to Rhythmi I again.** It's really beginning to bother me…

I check the library, nothing.

I check the common room multiple times, still nothing.

Should I check the girl's dorm room? Yeah, if I want to get smacked.

Begging girls to tell me if she's in there, nope.

One last place to check: the Pledge Stone. Guess I could have checked here first.

Something tells me that this is where I'll find her, so grabbing what I need, I head down to the Pledge Stone.

Before I even reach the bottom of the stairs, I spot the blonde girl sitting on the pledge stone's base, staring at the sky that's beginning to become filled with clouds.

She looks so peaceful, but this time, I have to interrupt her. It's for her own good after all.

"Hey, Rhythmi." I casually greet, startling the girl. She looks at me, a slight blush tinting her cheeks. She sure blushes a lot.

"Oh, h-hey Kellyn." She comments, trying to regain her composure. I continue to walk over to her. "Mind if I join you?" I ask, receiving a timid nod from her.

I walk up the few steps of the Pledge Stone, taking a seat right next to Rhythmi. I place my little parcel in between us, and she gives me a questioning look. "How about some lunch?" I offer.

She gives me the look of, "you're joking right?"

"I'm not hungry." She mumbles, moving to stand up, but I'm not about to let her leave. Not without a fight.

Grabbing her wrists lightly, I pull her back down. She yelps a bit, making me feel bad for being so forceful, but again, I can't let her do this to herself. "I hate being forceful, Rhythmi, but I can't let you hurt yourself like this. It's not good for you. I've seen what this can do to people, and I don't want to see it again." I tell her, still gripping her wrists.

It's true. One of my friends back in Fiore started doing this. She would starve herself, and any time she would eat…well, let's just say it wouldn't sit in her stomach for long. I always wanted to help her, but I never got the courage to say anything. One day, her body just quit…

That's one memory I don't like to look back upon.

Her yellow eyes seem fearful, and I finally realize why: I'm still gripping her wrists, and I'm very close to being completely on top of her.

I don't want to freak her out even more, so I slowly release my grip, scooting away from her slightly. If she wants to leave, I'll again try to stop her, but I won't be able to blame her.

Her eyes soften, as she looks at the blue bag nervously. "F-fine." She surrenders. I sigh, feeling like utter crap now. "I'm sorry. I just don't think I'm anywhere near ready to lose another friend again." I tell her.

She gives me a scared expression, and then asks me what I mean by that. I proceed to tell her the story of my friend. I don't know if it was the right choice, but maybe her story is just meant to help others.

At least Rhythmi seems more inclined to eat now. "Well, what did you bring?" She asks, after a slight silence from the story.

I smile a bit. "Well, I figured since you haven't been eating a lot, heavy foods wouldn't be too good for you, so the brat diet." I explain, feeling slightly stupid at the name.

She giggles a bit. "The what diet?" She asks, a small smile playing with her lips. "It's basically just a bunch of lighter foods. Usually you should eat it after being sick, but I figured it would work for this." I explain.

"Okay, what exactly is it?" She continues, placing her hands in her lap. "Well, the actual 'diet' is supposed to be, bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Well, considering toast is out of the question, and I hate applesauce, it's a little adjusted. Still bananas, rice, plain apples, and some French baguette slices." I explain, wanting to laugh at her nervous expression when she takes her lunch.

"Something wrong? You're not allergic to anything are you?" I ask, still trying to refrain from laughing. "N-no. I just…refuse to eat the banana." She says, eyeing the yellow fruit.

I should have expected it. I know exactly where this is going. "And if you even think for a second that I'm going to eat that, you're a perv." She adds, blushing.

I start to laugh. "It's good to know where your mind is at." I comment, still laughing. She blushes even more. "Oh who am I kidding? My mind lives in the gutter. You can say anything, and I'm almost positive that I can twist it in some way." She says, now beginning to laugh a bit.

My laughing settles down. "Well, just so you know, now I can't eat it either." I say, making her laugh.

Rhythmi then grabs for the red fruit, cradling it in her hands, just looking at it. This is probably really hard for her. I know this is probably something that she can't resolve after this one time, but hey, I'm willing to help her if needed. I'll miss all of my classes just to make sure she eats. I won't lose her. I'll help her no matter what. Even if she only eats the apple, it's a start.

I smile when she takes a bit out of the apple. From my lunch, I grab the slightly warm bowl of rice.

We eat in silence for a few moments. While monitoring her eating, I can't help but notice how she eats. Like a Rattata nibbling on a seed, only she's much cuter…wait. Eh, why lie to myself any longer? It's true.

Though, I still wonder why she is doing this. There has to be some reason. Maybe I will be crossing the line by asking again, but maybe she's willing to answer me this time. I could always rephrase my question.

"Can I ask you something?" I ask, setting my empty bowl on the concrete. She looks at me. "What idiot dared to tell you that you weren't beautiful?" I ask, feeling my cheeks get warm.

"P-Pardon?" She nervously asks. "It's something I've noticed with most girls. They'll think they're beautiful no matter what, until someone tells them that they're not. Who said it to you?" I ask. Okay, maybe the question isn't exactly related, but hey. It's something that I've also wondered.

She sighs, placing the half-eaten apple beside her. "Well, I don't remember the last time I regarded myself as 'pretty', but the only one that comes to mind is Keith." She answers.

I feel my blood boil. I should have guessed. What's his problem anyway? Was shunning her not enough for him? He acts like a little boy who picks on the girl he likes.

"I don't know if it'll mean much coming from me, but I hope you know he's wrong." I tell her, avoiding her yellow eyes.

We avoid each other's gaze for awhile, before something catches our attention.

"Lumin!" The shrill voice of a Pokémon calls from the pier.

Rhythmi's eyes light up. "Looks like the Lumineon and Finneon are swimming through again." She comments. She seems pretty interested in it, so it gives me an idea.

I hop down from the ledge, looking up at Rhythmi. The fall was probably less than six feet. "Let's go take a look." I say. "You sure?" She asks. I nod.

"C'mon." I say, taking notice of her timid expression. "I know it's not that far of a drop…but," she trails.

I smile at her. "Here," I say, extending my arms. She grabs onto my arms, and then leaps down. I make sure she lands lightly, and only now do I realize how thin she is.

Sure, I do consider myself to have a good deal of strength, but still. She felt so light…there is no way I am backing out of this now.

I hear her giggle a bit for letting go of my grip, and I feel almost stuck in place as I watch her walk towards the pier.

Forcing myself to stop staring, I follow her to the pier. We stand there together, watching the little fish Pokémon jumping out of the water. I feel almost elated at seeing her so calm.

After standing there for awhile, watching the fish Pokémon swim by, we begin to head back to the Pledge Stone.

Rhythmi comments that she doesn't feel well, so I decide to not push her into eating any more. I guess I have to treat this like stepping-stones. This was only the first step. Again, I'll join her at dinner to make sure she eats. Tomorrow is another day, and another chance.

Aren't I the optimistic one? I guess it's one of my better traits.

While we take our things to the trashcan, I feel a few drops of rain. This whole, it only rains ever so often, thing is very odd to me. I guess I still have to adjust. After all, back in Summerland, it rained practically every other day.

When we began to gather our bags, the rain began to fall. I couldn't resist smiling. I didn't realize how much I missed the rain.

"Wonder-freaken-ful." Rhythmi hissed. Looking over, I watched as her blonde hair started to collect the rain, making it a darker shade of blonde.

I can't just let her stand here getting soaked. Shrugging off my jacket, I offer it to her. She shakes her head. "I can't take your jacket." She simply replies.

Well, I tried. I walk closer to her, throwing my jacket over her head and shoulders.

She blushes at our close proximity when I lean down a bit, smiling. "You're taking it whether you want to or not." I tell her, and before she could even get a chance to object, I begin to run away, swiftly grabbing my backpack in the process. "Race ya' back!" I challenge.

"Kellyn!" She yells, running after me.

We manage to make good time, arriving at the school just in time for the rain to fall even harder.

Out of breath, Rhythmi leans against the walls, sliding my jacket to where it just covers her shoulders.

We both look at one another, laughing at the others appearance. Though, I probably am more drenched than she is. It's not like it bothers me though. I'd gladly give her my jacket anytime she needed it.

"That was…fun I guess." She remarks, grinning.

I start to agree with Rhythmi, but someone interrupts me. "Hey, I've been looking everywhere for you!" The feminine voice speaks. Looking away from Rhythmi, I notice one of the brunette girls that I often see in the library.

"Something wrong?" I ask. She shakes her head. "No. Mrs. Sune just told me to remind you that you have a book that's about to be overdue." She says.

Oh yeah…that book…I had completely forgotten about that stupid thing.

It was honestly the most ridiculous thing I have ever read, granted I didn't read much of it. Talk about stereotypical. The only thing I got from it was a few laughs.

The shorthaired brunette walks away without another word, leaving me to look back at Rhythmi. "I guess I better go return that book." I tell her.

"I probably should go change out of these clothes," she comments as she examines herself.

I laugh a bit. "Okay. I'll see you later, Rhythmi." I say, starting to make my way towards the library.

Just before I near the end of the hall, I hear Rhythmi call my name. "Kellyn, do you want your jacket back?" She asks. Turning around, I see her beginning to let my green jacket fall off of her. I smile. "Nah. You can give it back to me later." I tell her. She nods, and I continue my way to the library.

I must say, Rhythmi was pretty adorable in my jacket. It certainly wasn't huge on her, but it was just enough to look big on her. Strange that I find that cute…strange how I constantly call her cute.

At least I was planning on taking the book back today, so it's already in my backpack. That saves me from having to go back to the dorm rooms.

While walking through the halls, I pass Keith. He doesn't seem to notice me, but I feel a strange, foreboding sense. I wonder if I should ignore this or not. Something tells me not to ignore it.

Quickly, I return my book, and head back out in search for Rhythmi. I don't now why, but it just feels like I need to assure myself that she's alright. I don't know why she wouldn't be, but it's just a feeling.

I wonder where I'll find her…I guess I'll start with where I last saw her. It's a good of a bet as anywhere else.

A muffled scream catches my ears, and I'd know that tone anywhere: Rhythmi.

"Get off of me, Keith!" The girl yells.

I practically sprint around the corner to the hall where I left Rhythmi. What I see horrifies me. Keith has Rhythmi backed up against the wall, my jacket seems to have been ripped off of her, her shirt is unbuttoned in various spots, and seemingly worst of all –though none of it is a laughing or easy matter– Keith has her in a lip lock.

I can feel myself begin to tremble with anger. "Keith!" I yell. I'm completely beside myself with anger. Now I think I realize why Rhythmi has been acting odd around him.

Like I said, I'm beside myself with anger…there's not telling what I'll do to him for this…

* * *

_**AN: **_

_**I really, really, REALLY, hate leaving it on this note...REALLY. Like...it's almost killing me. I feel so bad for all the crap I'm doing to Rhythmi! D: SHOOT ME NOW!...NO DON'T! If you do...you won't see how this ends. You can shoot me afterwards. **_

_**But, in the next chapter, we will find out how Rhythmi is handling things. Unlike the last Rhythmi chapter, we won't see how she viewed the whole day. I'm still deciding where cut in, but it'll probably be around the lunch scene. **_

_**But how is nobody seeing any of this? Rhythmi will explain that the next chapter. **_

_**But yeah. Rhythmi has an inner perv.**_

_**Preview of the next chapter: Outrage**_

**_"Every single one of them deserve it! Every last one of them!"_**  



	4. Outrage

AN: Sorry that took so long! This website was messing up, and yeah... :D 

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Four: Outrage

(Rhythmi)

Chapter Rating: T for a lot of 'mature' references

I really wish I had asked him. Seriously…I wish I had asked. Asked who he liked that is. The only reason I didn't? I'm just simply afraid of the answer. I guess I just didn't want to hear any other girl's name…other than my own…?

"Oh, Rhythmi. You're so stupid sometimes." I say to myself, leaning back so I can look at the sky. I probably spend far too much time out here, but hey, when I need to think, this is the only place that I want to go.

The reason I'm out here? The dream I had last night is really bothering me. I dreamt of talking with Kellyn last night, and in the dream, I had asked him about who he liked. In the dream…he said that he liked me.

I blush just at the thought. But, that's not the end of it…

He then…kissed me. It was so…I can't think of the right word. Blissful perhaps? Seems fitting to me.

That dream certainly left me thinking. Kellyn has been a great friend, and it didn't take Keith's approval for him to like me. I certainly could see myself liking him more than a friend, but I doubt that he'd feel the same…right?

I wonder if he likes me back?

"Hey, Rhythmi." I jump a bit, blushing as I lock eyes with Kellyn. "Oh, h-hey Kellyn." Graceful…very graceful.

He continues to walk over to me as I try to regain my calm demeanor. "Mind if I join you?" He asks, standing around the base of the Pledge Stone.

I give him a nervous nod, scooting over slightly. Of course, when I go away from everyone to think about him, he shows up. That's my luck for you.

He sits a small blue bag between us, confusing me. "How about some lunch?" He offers.

Really funny…

I tell him that I'm not hungry, then try to leave. I didn't expect him to pull me back down. The pain I see in his blue eyes almost scares me. I hate feeling like I've upset him…I also hate how close to me he is.

He tells me that he hates to be forceful, and that this isn't good for me. Apparently he has seen this before. His blue eyes begin to remind me of a cloudy ocean. He sure can make a person feel guilty.

Letting go of my wrists, he moves away. I think he's finally realized how close he was to me. "F-fine." I finally agree, hearing him sigh.

"I'm sorry. I just don't think I'm anywhere near ready to lose another friend again." He tells me.

This simple phrase is enough to scare me. "What do you mean by that?" I timidly ask. He explains that one of his friends back in Fiore started doing this, and she got to the point to where it…well…killed her.

I feel completely awful for making Kellyn remember all of this.

A small silence follows his story. Normally I don't mind silence, but right now, it feels like it's killing me. "Well, what did you bring?" I asked, deciding to break the silence.

Kellyn then explains the foods, all of it light food. He sure seemed to put a decent amount of thought into this. It almost warms my heart knowing that he cares so much.

I just hope he wasn't really thinking when he picked one of the fruits…

"Well, just so you know, now I can't eat it either." Kellyn comments, making me laugh a bit.

Looking at the 'box' of food, I pick up the apple. I know I'm hungry. I know I should be eating, but this isn't something that I'll get over easily. Hopefully, with Kellyn's help, I'll get over it…maybe.

I know that this is just a mental thing right now…but is it wrong that I know that I'm fighting a battle of the mind? To me, it would seem like I'm doing all of this for attention. I'm not…am I?

Shaking my thoughts, I take a bite of the apple. It's not too sweet, but certainly nowhere near bitter. As simple as it is, it tastes amazing.

"Can I ask you something?" Kellyn asks after a few silent minutes. I look at him as he places his bowl beside him. "What idiot dared to tell you that you weren't beautiful?" He asks.

I nearly choke on the bit of apple I'm chewing. Swallowing, I feel my face go warm. "P-pardon?" I splutter. He turns towards me more. "It's something that I've noticed with most girls. They'll think they're beautiful no matter what, until someone tells them they're not. Who said it to you?" He asks.

I draw in a deep breath, trying to keep myself from getting too emotional. Placing the apple beside me, I release that breath in a sigh. "Well, I don't remember the last time I regarded myself as 'pretty', but the only one that comes to mine is Keith." I say, the memories of my freshmen year flooding back to me.

Keith has pretty much tormented me since the second he looked at me. Though, I'd almost kill to go back to then, because it's only been recently that he's taken his torment up to a new level.

"I don't know it it'll mean much coming from me, but I hope you know he's wrong." He says, now avoiding my eyes.

Wait…did he just inadvertently tell me that I'm beautiful...?

I become completely nervous. Surly he didn't intend it to sound the way I am taking it? I'm just overthinking everything is all.

"Lumin!" The high-pitched voice of a Lumineon calls from the pier. I smile. "Looks like the Lumineon and Finneon are swimming through again." I comment. The water Pokémon are another reason I come down here often. I love watching them because they're very calming. It's certainly another thing that helps me whenever I need to think.

When I turn to face Kellyn again, I notice that he has leaped from his spot. "Let's go take a look." He says. When I ask him if he's sure, he nods. I hope he didn't think I was trying to imply that I wanted him to go with me. Not that I wouldn't mind that.

"C'mon." He says, before taking notice of my nervous expression.

Kellyn ends up helping me down, which makes me feel incompetent. It was hardly a drop, but something about it just made me worry.

I'm still holding onto his arms, and as soon as I feel myself beginning to blush, I giggle and turn away. Again, I think I feel him try to grab me back. Oh how this reminds me of my dream.

The time we spend standing on the pier, I think I was stealing glances at Kellyn more so than actually looking at the Pokémon.

When we head back, I tell Kellyn that I don't feel too well. It wasn't a complete lie, but still. I feel bad for not telling the whole truth. Plus, I hate making him waste his money.

After we've thrown our things away, I feel a few raindrops. It's been awhile since it has rained.

I hope that it stays away just until we get back to the school.

But of course, it's just my luck that the one time I forget to bring my jacket, it starts to downpour. "Wonder-freaken-ful." I mutter.

Looking at Kellyn, I notice that he has taken his jacket off and is now offering it to me. Shaking my head, I tell him that I can't take it, even though I would love nothing more than to take him up on his offer.

He walks closer, smiling as he places his jacket over me. Now, the only thing I hear is the sound of the rain bouncing off of Kellyn's jacket, and the sound my own heartbeat. I'd have to be crazy or dead to not be blushing right now, and obviously my pulse is still going…

"You're taking it whether you want to or not." He tells me, grabbing his bag then running away before I could have any say about this. "Race ya' back!" He challenges.

"Kellyn!" I yell, grabbing my bag then running after him.

At least we manage to make good time, and avoid most of the rain. Good thing the south wing of the school was open.

Leaning against the wall, I allow his jacket to fall onto my shoulders. It's strange, up until now, I didn't realize how nice his jacket smelled. I guess it smells like…Kellyn.

Looking up, I see that he is looking at me, and we both begin to laugh. His clothes are dark from the water, and his hair is a slight mess. It's probably a good thing I chose my blue dress shirt instead of my white one. "That was…fun I guess." I say, grinning.

He opens his mouth to speak, but somebody interrupts him. One of the girls, I think her name is April, tells Kellyn that he has a book that needs to be returned to the library.

I smile, and try to refrain from laughing as I remember the book I saw him with. When she leaves, Kellyn says that he's going to go return his book, and I tell him that I'm going to change.

While he walks away, I just stand in my spot. I pull his jacket around me more, letting the fleece warm me. Then it hits me. I still have his jacket. "Kellyn, do you want your jacket back?" I ask him, letting the jacket fall to my arms.

I can just barely see a smile on his face. "Nah. You can give it back to me later."

Watching him walk away, I smile, sliding his jacket back on. Now that I think about it, his jacket does smell like him. The last time I was really close to him though, was back at his imitation night.

I lean against the wall, taking in a deep breath. I wonder if this is cologne. It doesn't matter really. Cologne, body wash, or just him; whatever it is, it's amazing.

The last time I used a guy's jacket, I don't remember liking it this much. It's such a simple thing.

"Rhythmi." That voice makes my eyes go wide with fear. Just what I needed, Keith. His footsteps draw closer. I feel a slight tremble of fear run through me.

I'm tempted to say that he has really good luck with catching me at times when I'm alone, but something is screaming that he planned this. The school currently doesn't have any security cameras working since they're doing repair on the system, and the south wing has no areas of interest for students on days without class. Keith has been waiting for this opportunity…

"Playing in the rain I see." He sneers, standing a few feet away from me. "No. I've been with Kellyn." I snap, wrapping my arms around myself.

He smirks. "Oh, so the wetness isn't from the rain?" He asks, making my face go bright red. "Y-you're sick, Keith! Why would you even suggest something a-as ridiculous as that?" I reply, looking down at the ground.

I hear him chuckle him a bit. "Just guessing from what I see. You in his jacket? That, to me, looks like you two just got back from a little rendezvous." He says, taking a few steps towards me.

My blush only increases. "I assure you, nothing of the sort has happened. He treats me like a human, not an object, like you seem to think I am." I tell him. Now he steps right in front of me. "Now, now. I never said that you were an object. That never even crossed my mind. I do think, however, that you need to learn to," he pauses slightly as he messes with the collar of the jacket. "Let loose every once in awhile. You're too uptight." He breathes, leaning closer to me.

I swat his hand, and try to move away from him. "Keep your hands off of me." I threaten. His smirk has yet to disappear. "Would you stop resisting? I don't know why I bother with you, but I think you should realize that I'm the only thing you're going to get. Kellyn and Isaac combined don't want you as much as I do." He says.

Placing his hands at the top of the jacket, he begins to slide it off, sending my thoughts racing.

I know that I need to react, but I can't.

I know that I should scream for help, but words won't meet my lips.

I know he's just saying all of that to try to sway my opinion, but I'm worried he's right…

What if I'm just imagining everything between me and Kellyn?

"Just let go, Rhythmi. You want this." He whispers into my ear, sliding the jacket onto the ground.

No…no I don't. "Go away," I say, just barely above a squeak. Keith pecks my cheek then plays with a strand of my hair.

Why can't he just leave me alone?

Looking into my eyes, he says, "come on, Rhythmi. I can make you feel better than Kellyn ever could." He whispers.

I begin to feel as if I'm fighting a battle I can't win. No matter what I do, it seems like the outcome will always be bad. I can either continue to fight this, which will probably end in being forced against my will; or I could give in, which may or may not result in as much pain. Physically and mentally that is.

The 'better' option may be to give in…but I don't want to…

Despite having to go against everything I stand for, I push all my thoughts aside, and kiss him. I know that I shouldn't let him get what he wants, considering it'll let him think that he can take control of me easily…but what else am I supposed to do?

Why do I let myself get into these situations? I should have just gone with Kellyn…

Keith presses closer to me, beginning to bite at my lip, trying to force me to deepen the kiss. That's not going to happen…

I make the fatal mistake of pushing him away, and opening my mouth to scream. He lunges back at me, hushing my scream with his mouth.

When he pulls away, his eyes narrow at me, and he begins to rip at my shirt a bit. "Shut up!" He hisses.

His eyes are completely glazed over with lust…

I'm literally so terrified that I can't even think of what to do now. The only thing I can think of is what he may possibly do to me…

The thoughts send tears streaming down my cheeks.

When I feel him run his hand under my shirt, it snaps me into reality for just a moment. "Get off of me, Keith!" I yell, only to have him force another kiss on me. I feel utterly disgusting right now. There is no way I'm getting out of this.

"Keith!"

It can't be…

Keith pulls away from me, letting me fall to the ground, horrified.

I wipe my eyes with my hands, then peer down at the end of the hall. I see Kellyn, and boy does he look pissed.

Keith smirks. "Of course, Prince Charming always has to show up. Hate to break it to you, but she's made her choice. She wants me." He sneers. Kellyn begins to make his way down the hall, obviously trying to refrain from just punching Keith.

I wish he wasn't such a gentlemen…right now at least.

"You've done enough, Keith." Kellyn says in a low tone. "What? She kissed me first." Keith says.

I flinch. Okay, yes, I did kiss him first, but that was only to avoid force…

Kellyn looks at me, his eyes a violent storm. His eyes don't stay on me for long though. "You never, I mean _never_, treat a girl that way." He tells him.

"What's it to you? What's _she_ to you?" Keith asks.

"If there is one thing you don't do, Keith, it's mess with my friends. Particularly my best friend." He replies, putting emphasis on 'best friend'.

My heart leaps. At least I'm something to him…

"I'm tired of watching sick people like you get away with this." Kellyn continues, walking up to Keith.

Keith retains his calm demeanor. "How about this? You just walk away, pretend you saw nothing, and let us continue." He offers in a smartass tone. Kellyn doesn't seem to find this funny, not that he should.

I close my eyes when Kellyn throws a punch, only to look again when he grabs my attacker by his shirt collar, and then slams him against the wall. "You're about to regret everything you've done to her."

I can't let him do this. He'll get expelled, and Keith won't…I'm not about to let myself get stuck with Keith again.

"Kellyn, stop!" I yell, attempting to stand. He continues to glare at Keith. "No, Rhythmi. First, idiots like him claim the innocence of my sister, and now they tried to do it to you. Every single one of them deserves it! Every last one of them!" He yells.

Oh no…I…I don't think he's going to listen to me. I know this kind of anger, and it's not about to let him reason with anyone. Assuming certain things happened to his sister, he's just been biding his time to release this anger…and it looks like this was it.

I can feel tears continue their way down my face as I make a quick decision. I wrap my arms around him from behind, and make a weak attempt to pull him away. "Please, Kellyn, stop! You're going to get expelled, and I-I need you here with me! You're the only person who cares about me, and you're the only one who can help me. If you're not here…things just may get worse for me…" I beg.

I draw in a sharp breath, trying to hold back my tears.

Kellyn lets go of Keith, then shoves him away. "Just leave." He mutters in a dark tone. Keith scrambles to his feet, then takes off.

I don't care where he goes, or what he tells anyone. I just want him to not even speak to me.

Letting go of Kellyn, I let him face me. Anger seems to be flowing out of his eyes, only to be replaced by a mixture of sadness. I can't think of anything to do, other than to hug him.

My tears break free again, but at least I have Kellyn to comfort me now. He wraps his arms around me, and for a moment, everything feels right. It doesn't feel like I was nearly stripped of my 'innocence', and it doesn't feel like I had to talk Kellyn out of beating the Hell out of Keith. It just feels…right.

"I'm…sorry, Rhythmi." Kellyn says. I notice a slight tremble in his tone. Is…is he crying? He can't be. I've never seen a guy cry before.

Pulling away from him, I look up at him, and notice that his eyes look bloodshot. I don't think he's been crying, but he certainly looks like he is about to. This only makes me feel worse.

"I should have been here. I shouldn't have let that happen." He says, blinking his eyes.

He's just breaking my heart more.

"Kellyn, there isn't anything else you could have done. You stopped it before it got any worse…" I reply, trying to keep my own tears at bay. He saved me…why does he feel the need to make it worse?

He shakes his head. "No. I should have gone with you, or at least stopped Keith when I passed him earlier. It's my fault…I never seem to be able to protect the ones I care about…" he mumbles. When he closes his eyes again, a tear falls down his cheek.

Seeing him cry makes me cry. "He…would have gotten farther if…if you hadn't stepped in, Kellyn." I tell him, between sobs.

Kellyn pulls me back into a hug, and I feel a few more of his tears fall on my shoulder, before we finally gather ourselves.

While I fix my clothes, Kellyn picks up his jacket, then looks back at me, only to look away again when he realizes that I'm still messing with a few of the buttons. "S-sorry." He stammers.

Once I've gotten the last button in it's place, I step towards Kellyn. "I'm decent now…" I nervously tell him.

Upon hearing those words, he looks at me again. "I guess we better go report him." He tells me. I nod in agreement, but before we begin walking, I feel like there is something I have to do.

Maybe it's not the best idea right now, but it feels like I should. "Kellyn," I say, grabbing his attention. When I know that I have his full attention, I carefully walk up to him.

Well, no matter how much I want to turn back, I can't now. The Beautifly in my stomach are restless, making me shake with nervousness.

Leaning up, I peck him on the cheek, and then hug him again. "Thank you, Kellyn. I…I don't know what I would do without you." I tell him, blushing at how lame that probably sounded.

He returns the hug, and this time it feels much calmer. "And I don't know what I'd do without you." He tells me.

Oh how much that simple statement means to me.

* * *

**_What_?**

They can't be serious…oh, but they are…I think I'm just going to fall over dead now. Seems like the better option.

"Boys will be boys," they say. More like, "our heads are too far up our own ass and we don't want the media to get in on this."

I can't believe they're not even going to at least move him out of my classes.

Though, compared to Kellyn's reaction to this, I think I'm being tame.

I don't think I've ever heard so many curse words put together in one sentence so carefully. Well, now I have.

Obviously he didn't say any of that in front of the teachers, but I heard it. The poor guy…he's put up with so much. I truly admire him for that. I probably would have snapped a long time ago.

"Just so you know," Kellyn starts as we sit down at a table for dinner. "If he ever, I mean _ever_ comes near you again, I will hurt him." He says in a very serious tone.

Even though it's almost scary to hear him say this, I can't help but smile. I just love that he cares so much.

Kellyn returns my smile, opens his mouth to speak, but gets interrupted by a flash.

"Yearbook!" A very peppy voice speaks. Oh great. Looking away from Kellyn, my eyes are met by the blue ones of one of the juniors. "Kate, you better delete that." I tell her.

She vigorously shakes her head while reviewing her picture. "No way! Gotta go! So many victims, so little time." She replies, taking off. At least that was quick…

My expression is very blasé, while Kellyn looks clearly confused. "Who was that?" He asks.

Wait…what? He hasn't met her yet? That has to be a crime. "You've been here for how long, and yet you haven't even run into her once?" I ask.

He shakes his head with a no, making me giggle a bit. "Count yourself lucky. Her name is Kate. She's a junior. She's…interesting to say the least. Apparently, once, she tore apart one of the school's Stylers so she could 'figure out how it worked'." I tell him, resting my head on my hand.

"Just so you know," I continue with a yawn. "There is no telling what she will title that picture as." He laughs at my comment.

I yawn.

Wow. I'm suddenly really tired. My day has been too eventful. I don't think I even have the strength to eat. Sleep is all I want, but I doubt Kellyn will let me make excuses…but I really don't feel good.

* * *

**_A/N:_**

**_Well...yeah. School Systems actually do that. Mine did that to me. The near exact thing happened to me, and they just left it like that. Jerks._**

Gawd. Cheese Ball City. Oh well. That's my writing for you. Stupid, cheesy things spread out everywhere.

But okay. Yay! Kate finally made an appearance. I knew I didn't want her to have a full 'appearance' in my story, but I knew I wanted her in here for some giggles. That little bit will come up later, but not till the chapter after this next one.

Speaking of the next chapter, you're in for a bit of a twist. Nothing too crazy, just a new point of view.

**_Preview of the next chapter:_**

**____****"Keith, your partner will be Kellyn."**


	5. Glare

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Five: Glare

(Keith)

Rating: Same as previous chapters.

What…what has come over me? It's like I'm not even myself anymore.

Right now, I don't think I can even look at anyone, so I retreat into the dorm rooms.

Too many people in the common room. It feels like they're all staring at me…knowing what I have attempted.

I head into the rooms, knowing full well that hardly anybody will be in there.

A sigh of relief passes my lips when I see that the room is completely empty. I sit on the edge of my bed, trying to gather my thoughts.

Do I even know myself anymore? Sure. I've hit on Rhythmi for a very long time, taunted her a little here and there, but I have never felt that before.

I had intended to just do a little flirting, maybe a peck or two, and maybe even claim her first kiss as my own, but…once she kissed me, the feeling was like adding gasoline to a fire: uncontrollable. The urge to completely ravish her filled my thoughts.

Every nerve in my body was aching for me to claim her 'first' everything for my own. I had already claimed her kiss; all that was left was her virginity, among a few other 'first time' things.

I can't believe I got so out of control…I'm a monster. If I don't get expelled, I certainly need to apologize…but how? What am I supposed to say? "Oh, hey, Rhythmi. Sorry for attacking you, stealing your first kiss, and almost raping you. Are we cool?"

Right…that'll go completely perfect.

Besides, after all of that, I doubt Kellyn will let me go anywhere near her.

Talk about terrifying. They guy can sure play up the 'innocent' act, but push him over the edge, or get too close to his territory, and he's a whole new person. I actually feared for my life…

If Rhythmi hadn't talked him out of it…I don't want to think of that outcome…

Looking over at the clock, I see that we have quite awhile till dinner. Great…just enough time to get me expelled.

It's not like I don't deserve it though. I'm surprised nobody ratted me out sooner. Just goes to show, the people around here are crazy about status, so I guess ratting out the leader would be a bad thing…

I can say with confidence that I truly hate my being right now.

"There you are, Keith."

Great, just what I needed right now. Lynn.

The short blonde boy walks in front of me, completely disregarding my disposition. "Everything go okay? You left in a hurry." He says, looking at me with his cerulean eyes.

"Everything is fine." I lie. He gives me a suspicious look. "Okay…we were wondering if you wanted to come with us. There's a new girl in the sophomore class, an we hear she's pretty cute." He offers.

I can't believe I'm about to say this… "No!" I yell, standing up. "You all better not even look at anyone if you know what's good for you." I threaten.

I wonder if it's the amount of height I have over him, or just my tone…whatever it is, the boy is obviously very intimidated.

"I'll give 'em your orders." He says, hurrying away from me.

Once he has left the room, I sigh in frustration. So help me if they dare to mess with anyone…

Normally I wouldn't hesitate to join some of the guys on an excursion like this, but right now, it's the very last thing I want to do…that and ever mess with Rhythmi again. I think I'll be lucky to even go near her. Why do I do this to myself?

* * *

**They're…they're joking right?** I'm off the hook? What was the point of even calling me down to the main office?

"Boys will be boys," they told her. I almost feel…guilty. I don't want to admit to my crime, because I still want to be a Pokémon Ranger, but…I feel bad for Rhythmi.

I won't say it aloud, because I'm too stubborn, but I promise Rhythmi…I'll do my best to change. I'll never hurt you again. I still don't know what came over me, but I'll never let it happen again.

In fact, any of those idiots I hang around, I'll stop them. I'm still the ringleader around here, and I know nobody will dare challenge my authority.

The old person I had in mind for the new leader: forget him. He's too much like I was. Great. Now I have to really search for a strong junior. Someone like…I hate to say it…someone like Kellyn.

I could use some thinking time. Wandering around the halls will draw attention.

Heading out the nearest exit, I begin to walk along the sidewalk that circles the school. The cool evening air doesn't calm me. It only seems to let my thoughts run wild, and I keep feeling more and more guilty for everything.

When I pass the cafeteria, I spot some girl leaving the building. I believe it's Kate. I haven't talked to her in awhile. It's kind of strange really. Kate is one of the very few girls that I don't flirt with. Why? Because she's no fun.

When I used to bother her, she would occasionally flirt back, but other than that, she would completely ignore me. She gave no reaction whatsoever, so it just got boring.

It's best I leave her alone, or else I may give in to bad habits. Considering it hasn't been long since I made my silent promise, it would be pretty bad to break it already.

Continuing my walk, I see that somebody seems to be following her. The blonde hair of Lynn catches my attention, making me grit my teeth in anger. I thought I told him to not do anything.

When a taller figure follows him, I roll my eyes. Now, I'm going to have to follow…for the safety of Kate of course.

They follow her silently until we are about halfway between the school and one of the old buildings. "You can stop following me now." Kate says in a perturbed tone, not even bothering to turn around.

Lynn and Austin chuckle a bit. "She's not as dumb as you said she was." Austin says, looking down at Lynn. The blonde boy looks up at the black-haired boy, shrugging.

Wait…they think Kate is stupid? They're the stupid ones. She's completely scatter-brained, but she's not stupid. I personally think she rivals Isaac when it comes to smarts, she's just not as inclined to do anything with it as he is.

I wonder how she'll handle this…

Kate laughs. "I suppose Keith put you up to this?" She asks, stopping to finally turn around.

Ouch. Harsh, Kate…well I guess she would normally be right.

Lynn laughs a dry laugh. "Keith? He's become a pushover. He's honestly not fit to be in charge now." He tells her.

I raise my eyebrow. Oh really now? Looks like somebody has been talking behind my back.

Kate rolls her eyes, looking past them. She either doesn't care that I'm here, or I'm still in the shadows enough to where she can't see me. "What do you want?" She asked in an exasperated tone.

Even though the moon was only halfway showing, her blue eyes were very visible, and radiating anger. Interesting. Normally she's anything but angry.

Austin starts to walk closer to her, his bulkier frame overshadowing her smaller one.

I notice her tremble a bit. She's intimidated, but only slightly. I'll continue to bide my time…

"I think you know what we want." Austin says, taking ahold of Kate.

Seeing this makes me feel…angry. Is…is this how Kellyn felt…?

When Kate lets out a small scream, I know I have to react. I won't let them hurt her. I know what they're planning, and I refuse to let Kate get hurt like this.

"Alright you two, that's enough." I say in a tone loud enough for them to hear. Lynn turns to look at me, fear clear in his expression.

Austin throws Kate to the ground, making me even angrier. Okay. I get it, Kellyn…I think.

Lynn and Austin exchange a glance, and then look back at me. Do they honestly think I'm scared of them? Sure, Austin may be able to put up a fight, but Lynn is a complete wimp.

"Hate to break it to you, Keith, but I think it's time you got put out of office. You're no longer fit to be a leader. You've become soft." Lynn tells me.

I cross my arms to show him that I'm not impressed. I need to remain calm. If they work me into a rage, strategy goes right out the window. "Is that a challenge?" I ask. Knowing their strategy, this should be easy. For me, self-defense is no problem.

Turning around, a smirk replaces my scowl. "I suggest you follow me, unless you want to actually fight for my position." Hook, line, and sinker.

Austin 'attacks' me from behind, holding me in a pathetic headlock. He should know better than this. "Didn't want it to come to this, Keith. Sorry pal." Lynn says from behind.

I grunt a bit, trying to give the illusion that I am actually struggling. When the blonde boy moves in front of me, I try to not laugh. They're making this too easy.

He shakes his head.

"Lynn, let him go!" Kate yells, in a tone that, to me, sounds like she's yelling at a younger sibling. I wonder if she realizes that I have this completely under control.

Lynn ignores her. "Why don't you just resign your spot, and hand it over to me and Austin? Or, you can do it the hard way, and continue to fight us." He offers.

His fatal mistake, getting within kicking distance of me. "Y-you know what? I will give you my spot," I say, waiting for Austin to loosen his grip. "You're a smart guy, Keith." Lynn compliments, smirking.

"Now," he says, stopping. A groan of pain fills the air, as I kick him where no man should want to be kicked. Before Austin could register what had just happened, I grab his arms, and do a certain defense maneuver that basically flips the situation, putting him in a headlock that he can't get out of. Just because he's taller than me doesn't mean he can overpower me.

"I'll give you my spot when Grumpig fly!" I yell. Lynn has yet to say anything, and my grip on Austin probably has him struggling to say something. "Now, are you gonna leave her alone?" I ask.

When I don't receive an answer, I reinforce my grip on Austin. "Y-yes!" Austin grumbles, but I'm not going to let him go just yet. He needs to remember why I am the leader.

"Huh?" I say, watching as Lynn begins to stand. "What was that? I didn't hear you." I tell him, waiting for the right moment.

Once Lynn is completely standing, obviously still in a world of pain, I do my best to throw Austin at Lynn. It worked for the most part, and I think I've given them enough of a lesson.

"If I _ever_ catch you messing with her, or anyone else, your punishment won't be light. Do I have to continue to remind you why I'm the boss?" I ask, watching them scramble to their feet. "No!" Lynn yells, being the first to take off.

Austin hangs around for a few seconds. "Man, what did Rhythmi do to you?" He asks, not giving me time to answer.

What did Rhythmi do? Nothing. Too much of nothing. She faugh back, but not in the way that would have helped her. She let me control and make fun of her. Hell, I think she would have given herself to me if Kellyn hadn't stepped in.

Maybe Rhythmi did do something…she changed me for the better. Not completely, but she certainly was the starting point.

Once they are gone, I turn to face Kate. She looks up at me with a genuine look of confusion. "Need a hand?" I ask, offering her my hand. She takes my offer, but still gives me a confused look once she is standing.

"You know, I never thought you'd be the one to rescue me." She says. I feel myself blush, which I find strange. I haven't blushed since…I honestly don't remember. "Let's just say I've had a change of heart." I tell her. Had this been only a few hours ago, I know I would have more than likely joined them. I truly am a horrible person.

I then realize that she still has a grip on my hand, and for some reason, I feel myself not wanting to let go. Strange.

"Good to hear." Kate says with a smile.

A silence follows, but strangely, it doesn't feel awkward. Even though we're essentially holding hands and staring at one another, it doesn't feel as awkward as it should.

Heat returns to my cheeks when I feel her entwine her fingers with mine. "Yeah, I think I can trust you. The old Keith would have made some kind of remark by now…that and the old Keith probably wouldn't have done that." She says, still smiling.

Oh Kate, if only you knew…

I hope, for her sake, that she doesn't do anything to make me act like I did earlier…

"Say, wanna help me with something? Everybody else abandoned me." She asks, giving me a saddened look.

Okay, this girl is just odd. She's not letting earlier bother her, and she trusts me so easily, even though I'm positive she knows of my reputation. Strange, strange girl.

"Help with what?" I ask, stumbling when she begins to pull me with her. "That means yes. I'll tell you when we get there." She says.

Kate remained silent as she led me to the old media building. I swore this place had been abandoned a long time ago.

Kate let's go of my hand and reached in her pocket for something. "Any clue as to why we're here?"

I smirk. "What kind of answer are you looking for? Because I've got a few up my sleeve." I remark. Well, it was true. I could give her a half-ass remark, a perverted remark, or a serious one.

She giggles a bit. "You're hopeless." She replies, pulling out a key from her pocket.

Once she has the door opened, I follow her in, surveying my surroundings. A few computer screens seem to be our only source of light, until she turns on a few lamps. The new source of illumination reveals stacks of papers lining desks. "Welcome to the yearbook room." Kate says, turning around to face me.

"So that's why you've been running around with a camera." I comment, continuing to lookover everything. She giggles again. "Yup. It's just me and two other people working on this. We're supposed to have a teacher with us, but that's no fun. We're trying to make the yearbook interesting this year." She tells me, walking over to a computer, and hooking her camera to a cord.

"How so?" I ask, walking over to her.

She bends over to type a few things on the keyboard, while explaining. "You know how every year, yearbook pictures are boring? Well, this year is going to be different. We're not going to do organized picture days. We have a huge list over everybody, and we're going to take a random picture of them for their picture. I'm about to hit the H section of the list." She explains. Clicking a few things on the screen.

"H? How can you be on H? You haven't surprised me with a picture yet." I question.

She rolls her eyes at me. "Well, duh. We're working backwards." She says, as if I should have known that. Right. Pardon me. Like I work on the yearbook staff or something.

"So what do you want help with?" I ask, my tone laced with boredom. She looks up at me. "You're going to help me pick the winners for certain contests, and which picture for all of the staff." She says.

Okay. This could be interesting.

Sitting down in the chair nearest to the computer, she then motioned for me to sit in the chair next to her.

"So, what I was thinking was, find the picture of the teacher and give it some sort of funny caption." She continued, clicking the button on the computer that told it to upload the files from her camera.

I shrugged. "Okay."

For the next few hours, we sat there, going through mountains of pictures, deciding captions, and flirting with one another. Well, at least I think she was flirting with me. Hard to tell with her.

By the time we were done, it was well past curfew.

While I waited for Kate to turn off most of the computers and lamps, I felt myself wanting to ask a question. It was one of those, I know how to say it, but every time I open my mouth to speak, I freeze because I'm scared to ask it. It may be the answer that has me nervous, but I think it's more of the possibility that I am interpreting everything wrong.

"What?" Kate asks once she's done. I really feel the need to ask this, so I might as well go for it. "I was wondering," I began, watching as she smiles and gets close to me. "Yeah?" She asked in a light tone.

Am I blushing again? Damn it, Kate. Why do you do this to me?

"Why flirt with me now?" I casually ask. Showing any signs of nervousness is something I'm not keen on doing…especially since I'm already blushing.

She giggles, looking away a bit. "I dunno." She answers in a brisk tone. I smirk a bit. She's a lot more playful than she lets off to be. "Liar. There's a reason, you just don't want to tell me." I return.

Her blue eyes look directly into mine, and I watch as her face heats up. "Maybe I just didn't want to be another girl you flirted with. Maybe I was waiting to actually mean something to you."

Now I'm positive I'm blushing. So…I'm pretty sure she just admitted that she liked me. Well, from what I hear, it takes a Hell of a lot of courage for a girl to admit this, so if I were to reject her, I need to be gentle…but…why do I not want to say no?

No…maybe I'm falling back into my old self. I can't let Kate get hurt like this. "What do you see in me?" I ask, shaking my head a bit.

She giggled. "An idiot. An idiot with a lot of issues." Oh, that makes me feel great. "But I also know you have a heart, and you've obviously shown me that you do care to some degree. So, maybe I'm the idiot junior who has just admitted her feeling to the senior, and he won't return those feelings. I've probably just made a big mistake, but we all have to take risks…right?" She says.

Interesting. She really does like me. I don't know why I find this weird. I guess I never really thought of myself as a suitable 'boyfriend'.

I nod. "You're right. We all do have to take risks at some point. But okay," I pause to choose my wording. One wrong word, and I'll probably hurt her. "It's not that I don't feel the same…I'm just terrified that I'll hurt you." I finish.

At first, she seemed scared, but the warmth returned to her eyes. "So you feel the same?" She timidly asks.

"Yes, but I-" I reply, stopping short when she attacks me with a hug. Well, I know it seems very sudden to be saying that I like her, especially since I've been after Rhythmi all year, but when I look at it, I was lusting after her. I just hope I don't do that to Kate.

And I'm not saying that I'll learn to like her, no, these past few hours have certainly told me that I do like her…I just really don't want to hurt her.

When I return the hug, I feel her laugh against me. "You have no clue how scared I was." She tells me. I can't help but smile. She's a klutz, she's a junior, but she's got courage. I certainly have to give her that.

"Well, I guess you can stop worrying now." I tell her.

We finally leave the yearbook room behind, Kate slipping her hand into mine as we walk back.

Strange. I've never actually held hand with someone. So this is what it's like. It almost feels like I've said, "I'll protect you at all costs, and I wont' look at anyone else".

Arceus, this is going to be tough for me…but…something tells me that…maybe I can do this.

"I think we should keep quiet about this for now." I tell Kate before we separate at the junior's building. I only want to keep it quiet, because if Kellyn or Rhythmi hear about this, they'll surly tell her to keep away from me.

"Okay." She agrees. Huh. I figured she'd at least ask why.

"But before you go…" she says, her voice trailing. Either she is going to ask now, or she is going to want to kiss me. I kinda hope it's the first option.

"What did Austin mean when he said, 'what did Rhythmi do to you'?" She asks. Okay…even worse.

"It's a long story." I hope this'll suffice. She nods. "Well, normally I would be worried with an answer like that, but judging by the looks she was giving Kellyn, I don't think I have to worry. Good night, Keith." She says.

She hugs me one last time, before making a silent entrance into her building. On my way to the senior's building, I can't help but think that maybe this is wrong…sooner or later it's going to get around, and even then, are we actually dating? This is too confusing…

* * *

**Wow…Spring Break.** One more day, just one more day, then I am free to go home for two weeks. I just have to get through this 'One Day Internship' deal, and then I can start packing.

This whole time Kate and I have continued to keep quiet about us dating. Hell, I still haven't even kissed her. I can tell she wants me to, but I'm still scared that I'll revert back. My feelings for her certainly have grown, but I can confidently say that she probably likes me more than I like her…I feel bad. Maybe I'm holding myself back, in fear.

As lame as it sounds, I think I'm right…

I haven't gone near Rhythmi since that incident, and any time I dared to get close, Kellyn was right there to make sure I kept my distance.

I just have to remind myself, after this assignment, I'm free to go home, maybe even see Kate a few times over break. Yeah…sounds like a perfect Spring Break to me.

"So, as you all know, we'll be breaking off into pairs for this assignment. Some of you will be paired with students in Mr. Kincaid's class, and some from this class." Ms. April says, then going into who will be paired with who.

"Rhythmi, you'll be heading to the Ranger Union with Isaac from Mr. Kincaid's class." Ms. April says.

Glancing at the blonde girl, I see that she has a look of terror. Oops…I guess that's my fault also. If I've heard correctly, those two have barely spoken since I told Isaac that she liked him. I wonder if she still does…I guess she'll find out today.

I know my name is going to be next on the list, so I look at Ms. April, praying she doesn't put me with an idiot.

"Keith, your partner will be Kellyn."

…Does she hate me?

Kellyn's face is void of emotion, and this scares me more than any glare would. "You two will be going to the Vientown Ranger Base."

At least we'll be close to the school…

Why? Why out of everybody, I get paired with him? I'll be lucky if I come back alive…

Ms. April dismisses the class, but I'm reluctant to stand. If I ask her for a different partner, she'll ask why, and I can't tell her that he wants to kill me because I messed with Rhythmi. This isn't good no matter what way I look at it…

The whole walk to Vientown I was on edge. Kellyn wanted to make sure that Rhythmi at least made it to Vientown, so he basically made a barrier of him and Isaac so I would be on the opposite side of Rhythmi.

Every sudden movement freaked me out, and I think even Kellyn noticed. I don't want to die…

"Looks like this is where we part our ways." Isaac said, not having said a word the whole walk.

I didn't even notice that we had arrived at the entrance to Vientown. "See you later, Kellyn, and Keith." Rhythmi said, my name hardly noticeable.

I give them a half-wave, terrified of what may or may not happen. "Let's go." Kellyn says after he says his goodbye.

The internship ended up actually being very easy. Once we arrived at the base, the operator sent us on a 'mission' to deliver something very important up to Breeze Hill. After me screwing up my introduction, a little taunting from Kellyn and the Area Rangers, it turned out to only be lunch.

Between my nervousness from the 'mission' and my fear of Kellyn, I'll still never figure out where I came up with, "hellomeetcha". If I tell Kate about this she'll surly make fun of me for the rest of my life…

We joined the Area Rangers for lunch, and then we got to join them on an actual mission. Apparently a strange ship had passed by the beach, and some of the Pokémon started acting crazy.

Kellyn went for the Pachirisu, I went for Munchlax, and the girl Luana captured the Starly, leaving the Shellos for Crawford and Barlow. I'll admit, Kellyn certainly works fast when it comes to a capture.

After releasing the Pokémon, the Area Rangers told us to meet them back at the base.

"See you later, Pachirisu." Kellyn said once we reached the top of the stairs leading away from the beach. The squirrel gave a toothy smile to Kellyn before scampering off into the forest.

Kellyn began to walk ahead of me, but some idiotic nerve in me made me stop him. "Kellyn, wait." I say, making him stop.

"I think we need to clear some things up." I tell him, quickly regretting so when he turned around, smirking.

"Yeah. I think we do." He says. Before I can react, Kellyn grabs me, and forces me to stand near the edge of the cliff.

I've heard of a 'burning gaze', but the glare Kellyn is giving me puts a whole new meaning to that.

"I have half the mind to shove you over the edge." Kellyn mutters. The drop is maybe fifteen feet at the most, but with all the rocks that line the bottom…he's trying to kill me…

"Kellyn! I know what I did was wrong! Trust me, I feel horrible for putting her through that." This only results in him shaking me.

"You have no clue what you've done to her! She was acting just fine for a few days, but then she started having nightmares about what you did. She stopped eating again, she stopped talking to me, she hardly slept, and she even started cutting herself! You have no clue what you did to her!" He yelled.

My expression goes blank. How did I cause her so much pain? I let most of my body go limp. "Just…do it, Kellyn. Push me over the edge. She didn't deserve what I did, and she doesn't deserve the mentality of what I may have done. If it'll make you feel better…kill me." I surrender.

Now, I really wish I had at least kissed Kate. Now, I get to die without her knowing that I really liked her. Maybe it's better this way…

"Damn it!" Kellyn curses as he lets go of me. "I…can't kill you." He mumbles, walking away from me. "But don't apologize to me. At some point, you better apologize to _her_." He warns.

When he glances at me, I make sure to nod a yes.

I can't believe I did that to her…part of me wants to say that Rhythmi is being overdramatic, but that's just a selfish thought. She's…hurting herself because of me. I'll apologize…I don't know when…but I will…

* * *

**"Keith, I want to talk to you about something."**

I jump at the soft voice. After getting back from the class assignment, I decided to take some time for myself to process the day's events. The edge of the forest by the yearbook room seemed like a good idea at the time, I just didn't expect Kate to be here.

Looking up at the brunette, I notice that she seems worried. I stand up and face her. "Something wrong?" I ask.

"You tell me." She says. There are a few things she could be referring to, so what is she talking about?

She fiddles with her fingers. "I've just…I've begun to think that you don't actually like me. I mean, we've been 'dating' for almost a month now, and you haven't even shown signs that you want to kiss me." She admits.

Guilt comes crashing down on me. "Kate, no, it's not that. Trust me, I want to." I tell her.

"Then why haven't you?" She quickly asks, blushing.

I try my hardest to smile as I cup her face with my hands. I take a deep breath before continuing. "Because quite honestly, I'm scared. I like you, a lot, but the last time I kissed somebody, I ended up hurting her, and I don't want to hurt you. For once in my life, I want to wait." I tell her.

She smiles at me, bringing her hands up to mine. "I've been waiting since my freshmen year. I'm done waiting."

Well, I guess it would be rude to make her wait any longer. I lean down, and kiss her.

Unlike when I had kissed Rhythmi, it felt calming, and –this sounds so lame– loving. I don't have the urge to claim her as mine. Sure, maybe I want to kiss her again, but for right now, nothing more than a simple kiss.

And now, I think I'm ready for us to advertise our relationship. I think.

* * *

_**Has everybody's mind a'sploded yet? Yup. A little Vatonageshipping shipping in there. ^_^ **_

_**Yes. As labeled in my little notes for the construction of this story, this is Keith's redemption chapter, Kellyn's psycho chapter, and Rhythmi's meltdown chapter.**_

Keith isn't a total bad guy. Like Kate said, he just has a few issues.

Lol. Last chapter I said this would probably be a very short chapter, but it ended up being my longest chapter so far.

The next chapter will probably feel a little rushed, and I'm still trying to get my ideas together. I know of some thing I want to do, but I am worried that they are a little...cliche. Who knows? 

_**But yes, I do know that the outdoor class thing comes before the internship part, but hey, that's why it's called fandom **_

_**Preview of the next chapter: **_

_**Spring Break**_

_**"Umm...Isaac asked me out..." **_


	6. Spring Break

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Six: Spring Break

(Kellyn)

It's something I've heard a lot about. It's something I've seen a lot. Hiding under long sleeves, bracelets, armbands, and even attempts at covering it with makeup: self-inflicted wounds.

I've seen it one a variety of people; people who look like they are depressed, people who look completely average, and even the ones who seem the happiest. I've seen it on just about everyone.

However, I never thought I'd see her, coming to me, on the verge of tears, begging for help.

When she pulled up the sleeve covering her left arm, my world had shattered. Her whole arm was covered in scars, some fresh, and some old.

All I wanted to do was hold her, tell her that she's beautiful, and assure her that everything was going to be alright.

I held my tongue, and comforted her the best I could. I promised that I would help her through this, and it seemed to make her feel slightly better.

I'll always be there for her. I'll never give up. Above all of that? I'll never forgive Keith.

* * *

**"I think we need to clear some things up."** Keith says after I come to a stop.

Why yes, there are a few things we should clear up.

I turn around, a smirk on my face. He should have picked a different place to talk. "Yeah. I think we do." I tell him, and before he even has a moment to react, I grab him, and force him to the edge of the cliff.

The drop in actuality may not kill him, but the rocks that he'll land on probably will.

My smirk disappears, and all I can do is glare. I no longer feel like I have control over myself. It's my pent up anger that's doing the talking. "I have half the mind to shove you over the edge." I tell him.

He tries to get out of my grip, but he should realize that one wrong step, and he'll go tumbling over the edge. All I will have to do is tell the school that he wasn't careful around here. It's foolproof.

"Kellyn! I know what I did was wrong! Trust me, I feel horrible for putting her through that." He begs.

Lies! I shake him, reminding him that I'm currently in control of whether he lives or dies. "You have no clue what you've done to her! She was acting just fine for a few days, but then she started having nightmares about what you did. She stopped eating again, she stopped talking to me, she hardly slept, and she even started cutting herself! You have no clue what you did to her!" I yell.

It's true. He doesn't know. I shouldn't have to tell him. I shouldn't have to resort to this, but if it'll keep Rhythmi from harm, so be it…but wait…can I really bring myself to kill another human?

Keith's expression goes blank, and he finally stops fighting me. "Just…do it, Kellyn. Push me over the edge. She didn't deserve what I did, and she doesn't deserve the mentality of what I may have done. If it'll make you feel better…kill me."

Is he really giving up that easily…?

Does…does he really understand what he did wrong?

This is too damn confusing! "Damn it!" I curse, letting him go. "I," oh how I hate to say it, "can't kill you." As much as he deserves it, I just can't do it.

Walking away from him, I feel the need to at least warn him that he better apologize to her. If he doesn't…I don't want to think of what I may or may not do to him.

* * *

**The rest of our internship went smoothly, but not a word was spoken between us.** I don't think either of us had anything to say to one another, but I certainly have begun to regret my actions.

I overreacted, to put it simply. At least I didn't actually kill him. As much as Rhythmi doesn't like him, I don't think she would look at me the same if she knew I killed him. That's why I'm not even going to speak of this to her.

Walking back over the bridge that connects the school to the mainland, I notice Rhythmi waiting at the opposite side.

When we make it to her, she seems nervous, so I wait for Keith to leave.

Even when he's gone, she still seems nervous. "What's wrong?" I ask her, leaning against the bridge's railing next to her.

She looks up at me, her yellow eyes showing various emotions. "I know I tend to be a downer, but does it really seem like my name is 'Misery'?" She asks.

I laugh, and ask her who kept calling her this.

"Professor Hastings could never seem to remember my name, so he just kept calling me Misery the whole time I was at the Ranger Union." She explains, though it still seems like something is still bothering her.

I smile at her. "Other than that, did you have a good time?" I ask. She shrugs. "It was alright. It probably would have been better if they had given me something to do other than observe the operators. I met a few of the Top Rangers though. Wendy and Sven I believe." She said.

Well, at least she seemed to have a better time than I did.

"But that's not what's bothering me, actually." She quickly adds, looking down at the ground. "What?" I ask.

She tries to answer me, but she seems to be struggling to find the right words. This doesn't seem good.

I wait patiently, not trying to force an answer when she stops mid-sentence.

After awhile, Rhythmi sighs, then finally begins to speak. "Umm…Isaac asked me out." She quickly said.

It feels like my heart has dropped…I'm completely terrified. Terrified that she said yes. "Well," I nervously begin. "What did you say?"

She looks up to the sky, placing her hands across her front. "It's kind of funny, actually. I turned him down, but had this been around the time before you got here, I wouldn't have hesitated to say 'yes'. However, I couldn't even find one little bit of me that wanted to say yes." She explained.

I notice that when she had looked at me a few times, she quickly looked back towards the sky. I at least feel relieved that she said no.

"Then he yelled at me." She added, followed by a sigh.

I freeze. He did what?

My temper is rising, but I can't go on another rage.

"Why did he yell at you?" I asked, trying to sound more surprised than anything.

"He said, 'I was right all along. I only ended up getting hurt by returning your feelings. Love is just a trick of the mind'." She ends, uncrossing her arms. I find her imitation of Isaac's voice to be quite humorous.

Glancing over at me, I see that her cheeks are quite rosy. "I mean, I think I would have hurt him worse, because I like someone else, so that wouldn't be fair to him. Do you think I did the right thing?" She asks.

I sigh. "Probably. If you had said yes, but you have feelings for someone else," Arceus, it pains me to say that, "that would be lying. In the long run, that's worse than rejection." I want to know who she likes, but this probably isn't the appropriate time to be asking.

Looking away from me, she says, "I hope you're right."

While we begin to walk back to the school, I can't help but wonder if I was right.

It's been quite some time since I thought about this, but I do remember when I first moved here, how I thought they were dating. Would she be happy with him, and who is this person she likes? All of this is going to drive me insane…

The next day, everyone is prepping to leave for home. Two weeks, all to myself. It should sound like time to relax, but I'm a little upset that I won't be seeing Rhythmi on a regular basis. Maybe I can fix that.

Once I have my backpack ready, I walk over to one of the desks, grab a small sheet of paper, and write down a few numbers on it. At the top I decide to write, "just in case".

I'll give this to Rhythmi just before we part ways at Vientown.

During our walk to Vientown, both of us remain silent for the most part, until I decide to bring up the topic of seeing one another. "So, I was wondering if you'd want to hang out over Spring Break?" I offered.

She looks at me. "That sounds fun." She agrees.

We finally reach our departure point, and Rhythmi places her backpack on the ground. Luckily, we were allowed to leave most of our things at the school, so our bags were light.

I take mine off, setting it next to hers, and we then agree to meet here on Monday around noon. At least that's only a few days. That will give us a few days with our families.

I hold my arms out a bit, silently asking if she would like a hug, and she laughs as she hugs me.

Normally, Rhythmi is the first to pull away from a hug, but this time, it's me who pulls away first. I reach into my back pocket, and pull out that piece of paper from earlier. I take her hand, and place the paper in her palm.

"I don't care what time it is. Even if it's two in the morning, or three in the afternoon; if you need me, you can call." I tell her.

She smiles at me, and I pull her into another hug.

If only I could tell her how I feel…

I tell her to be careful, and she makes a sarcastic remark about how far Pueltown is.

It's strange. As much as I can't wait to see my family, I'm looking forward to seeing Rhythmi more…

* * *

**When I get home, I'm greeted by my family, and I'm reminded of how much I miss them.**

It's good to be home, and it's even better to have my mother's cooking again. The school food wasn't horrible, but it just wasn't home.

At dinner, I remember that I need to tell them that I need to meet Rhythmi on Monday.

"That's fine, but when are we going to meet this girlfriend of yours anyways?" My mother asks.

I nearly choke on my dinner. "Wait, you mean Rhythmi?" I ask, feeling myself blushing. When she nods, I look over at my sister.

"What did you tell them?" I ask.

She curiously blinks her blue eyes. "I never said anything about a girlfriend. I said you mentioned her a lot though." She tells me.

I deny this, but true to my sister's nature, she already has a come back. "In every letter I have gotten from you, you mentioned her at least two times. One of your more recent letters had a whole paragraph about her." She says.

She may be only fourteen, but she's very cunning. I walked right into that one.

My parents even join in on the taunting, until I can no longer take it. "Okay, yes! I talk about her a lot. I like her. Big deal." I admit, even though it's actually a very big deal. I think this is the first time I have said aloud that I like her…

"Aww! That's so cute!" My sister coos, making me blush angrily.

Mother laughs at us. "Stop teasing your brother. But what does Rhythmi look like, dear?" She asks.

I smile, looking around the table at everyone. "She's not really tall, maybe just a little past my shoulders. She has completely natural, platinum blonde hair. She always straightens it, but I honestly think she looks beautiful even when it's not straightened. Her eyes are yellow, but they remind me of lightning in the way they reflect her moods. She's just all around beautiful." I say, finally realizing that I've been rambling for quite awhile.

"Oh, he's smitten." Mother comments, looking at my father. He nods in agreement.

I'm never living this down, but hey. It almost feels amazing to have gotten that off my chest. It's good to have a family I can talk to about anything. I'm pretty lucky in that aspect.

I wonder how Rhythmi is doing…

* * *

**The days pass slowly, until it is finally time to meet up with Rhythmi.** I find it almost strange to see her in regular clothes.

She's wearing a solid blue shirt, a purple jacket with an Aipom logo on it, and fitted blue jeans. As simple as it is, she looks amazing as always.

She greets me with a smile, and we then decide to walk around Vientown.

"So, how've you been?" I ask as we walk side-by-side down the street. She lets out an exasperated sigh. "It's been pure Hell. You have no clue how good it feels to get out of the house." She tells me.

I give her a worried look. "Why?" I ask.

"I guess I never told you that I have four sisters. It was good to see them, but after about an hour, I was ready to leave." She briefly explains.

I blink in surprise. "Wow, four sisters?" I say. The poor girl.

She nods. "Yeah. I'm second oldest. My older sister, Alyssa, she's never around. She brings a new boy home every few days. I never could understand her. I always see relationships as something to be taken seriously, not to be treated like she does. Then there's me, who has to take care of everyone because our mother is always juggling jobs, and our stepfather doesn't care to help out.

"Under me is Lakota, who is fifteen. She took responsibility of everything while I was at school. I hated doing that to her, but I'm determined to not be like Alyssa and just throw my life away.

"Annabelle is younger than Lakota at thirteen, and Abigale is the baby of the family, and our stepfathers only biological child. It's funny. After mentioning you a few times, they all say they want to meet you." She explains.

Geez. I thought I had enough trouble with just one sister.

I smile at her. "Funny. I talked about you a bit and my family wants to meet you." I told her.

She blushes, and avoids my gaze.

* * *

**For the first week of break, every other day we meet up to see one another.** My mother kept pestering me to invite her over for dinner one night, so I finally caved in, and asked. She said yes, and we agreed on Saturday.

When I went to meet her, I couldn't tell who was more nervous, her or me. I ask her if she's alright, since I can see her visibly shaking.

"I'm just nervous about meeting your parents is all." She says in a shy tone. I smile. "Don't be. They'll love you, I'm sure of it." I assure her.

She returns the smile, and we begin to head towards my home. I couldn't help but steal a few glances at her while we walked. We made light conversation the whole way there, and once we arrived, I made sure to introduce her to everyone.

Once the introductions were finished, my mother smiled at her. "She's just as beautiful as you described." She says.

We both blush, but before we can say anything, mother tells us that dinner won't be ready for awhile longer, so father then suggests that I show Rhythmi the new baby Miltank and Tauros.

I ask Rhythmi if she would like to, and when she says yes, we head out, but not before father warns us of the new bull in the herd.

The Pokémon field isn't too far from the house, but it's not exactly close.

I warn Rhythmi of the electric fence. Even though only one of the wires on the metal fence is charged, I'd still hate to see her get shocked. It probably wouldn't be enough to hurt her, but it does burn quite a bit.

The calls of Tauros and Miltank begin to fill the air, and as we approach the fence, we both take notice of the baby Tauros that is just within reach.

Rhythmi bends down to get a better look at him, commenting on how cute he is. The Tauros moos in response, but quickly runs away when a larger Tauros approaches him from behind.

Looking up from Rhythmi, I come face-to-face with the new Tauros. Well… Father was right when he said that the bull he was getting was going to be huge…

Rhythmi stands up, and seems intimidated by the bull. He puts his head over the fence, enough to where he can sniff Rhythmi. Grunting a bit, the bull then pushes into her. It seems like he's trying to headbutt her, but I know that this is one of the ways Tauros show affection.

"He seems to like you." I tell her, watching as she giggles when she pets him. Music to my ears.

Tauros then tries to get closer to Rhythmi, resulting in him rubbing the charged wire. It shocks him, and during his moment of panic, he reared his head up, forcing Rhythmi away from him.

I thought she was going to fall, so I reached over to steady her. She grabs onto me, and we pull ourselves into an awkward hug. We both begin to laugh at the situation as we pull away from one another.

"Well, if you wanted a hug so badly, you could have just asked." I joke. She laughs, and we then decide to head back to the house.

While waiting in the kitchen for everyone else to get their dinner, I notice Rhythmi giving me an uncomfortable stare. I think I know what she's trying to tell me.

"Don't worry, okay? Just don't get a lot. I promise that my parents won't yell if you don't eat everything though." I whisper.

Just like that, she seems to get calmer.

Once we are all seated at the table, mother begins to question Rhythmi. "So, Rhythmi, Kellyn tells us you're aiming to be an Operator?" She inquires, her gaze landing on the blonde beside me.

Rhythmi nods. "Yeah. It's something I've wanted to do for quite some time." She answers, nervously keeping eye contact. She's so nervous, and I hate seeing her like this. I wish I could say something to make her feel better.

A small smile appears on my sister's face, and I know that smile…it means trouble for me. "Are you two hoping to get stationed together?" She asks in a sly tone.

Little twerp…

Blushing, we both shrug. "It would be nice to be working with someone I'm confortable being around." Rhythmi answers. When I look at her to agree, I notice that her face is very red.

She sure blushes a lot. It's pretty cute.

The rest of dinner seems to fly by, and it seems my family likes her. That's certainly a relief. I didn't think that they wouldn't, but I guess it's just one of those things that's easy to worry about.

Afterwards, I decide to walk Rhythmi home, but before we leave, I realize that I'm going to need a jacket.

"Let me go get a jacket, then we'll head out. I'd hate to get you in trouble, having you out so late and all." I tell Rhythmi as we begin to walk up the stairs to my room.

"What are you two doing?" My father asks in a suspicious tone.

My shoulders immediately slump. I should have guessed he'd say something…why does he not trust me anymore? I've never given him a reason to not trust me. "I'm just grabbing a jacket, it's okay, dad." I tell him.

He gives me a look that is warning me to not do anything.

What could we possibly do in maybe five minutes?

Well…maybe I shouldn't answer that question. Though, I would like to know why father suddenly doesn't trust me.

During our walk to Pueltown, we stop at the ledge that overlooks Pueltown at Altru Park. The places seem to be glowing with light, and it just seems very relaxing.

Rhythmi sighs, and laughs a bit. "I love this view. I'm glad you're here with me." She comments, the fading sunlight revealing a small blush on her face.

"Why's that?" I ask, turning to face her.

She smiles at me, blinking her eyes a few times, before turning away from the viewpoint. "Maybe I'll tell you at another time." She says.

This makes me curious, but something is telling me to not press the issue. I wouldn't want to upset Rhythmi any, and this seems like it could be something that would do just that.

Pueltown isn't too far from here, but then again, I don't know where Rhythmi lives, so this walk could be longer.

I see Rhythmi shivering. I guess I'm too lost in my own thoughts to notice the temperature. "Want my jacket?" I offer, already beginning to take it off. I know her. She'll say no, but if I give it to her, she'll take it anyways.

"No, I'd feel bad for taking it. It's my fault that I didn't bring one." She says, with a shake of her head. I smile as I remove my jacket, and hand it to her. "Take it anyways." I say.

She gently takes it from my hands, slips it on, and again comments how she feels bad for taking it.

I assure her that it's fine. Though, I do leave out how cute I think she looks in it.

When we reach the outskirts of Pueltown, Rhythmi stops, and tells me that she'll walk from here, saying that it's probably best that she doesn't keep me out any longer. She is probably right, seeing as my father doesn't seem to trust me as much as he used to.

"Yeah, I'd hate to get you in trouble, too." I tell her. She shrugs. "Actually, mom and dad don't know where I'm at. They weren't around, so I never got to tell them. I'm not too worried, though." She admits, grinning.

Geez, talk about lenient. I think my parents would kill me if I just left without telling them where I was going.

We make plans to meet again on Tuesday, and I can honestly say that I can't wait.

We hug goodbye, but when we pull apart, we retain eye contact, and keep a light grip on one another's hands. I won't lie, I can feel my heart racing, and I'm nervous beyond belief.

"I..." say it, Kellyn! Say you like her! "I-I'll see you later, I suppose." Damn it. Curse my nerves…

There's a slight disappointed look in her eyes. Was…was she hoping I'd say something else…?

It's official. I fail at life.

"Yeah," she says in a quiet tone, as we start getting slightly closer to one another.

My nerves are completely shot, but I'm not about to let that get in the way.

Our eyes slowly begin to close, and it's practically inevitable that we kiss now…or so I thought.

"Rhythmi, you best be hopin' that this boy is checkin' for somethin' in 'yer eye." Something threatens aloud, their accent very heavy.

Rhythmi immediately pulls away from me, and looks at the person ahead of us, with horrified eyes. "D-dad?" She asks.

Oh no…anybody but her father. Here I am, trying to kiss his daughter. Biological or not, I think I'm about to be murdered…

I can feel myself shaking with nervousness, but now it's not a good nervous.

He's a pretty bulky man. He could probably knock me out in one swing.

To run, or not to run…that is the question. I want to run with every fiber of my being, but that wouldn't be right. Would it? That would certainly make it look like Rhythmi wasn't willing to kiss me.

Pointing to the ground beside him, her father begins to speak again. "Y'can start explainin' 'yer-self when we get back to t'house." Hold on…there's a very drunk slur in his tone.

He seems beyond intoxicated.

When I look closer, he does seem to be swaying a bit. I sure hope he won't hurt Rhythmi…

"Bye, Kellyn." Rhythmi mumbles, not even looking at me as she hurries away.

She looks so tiny next to him, and it breaks my heart to see her glance at me before they way away.

I can hear him asking her questions, but I'm so…hurt…that I can't even make out what they are saying.

I want to walk away, but I'm frozen in my spot, thoughts whirling around my mind.

Did she even want to kiss me?

What if I just got her at a bad time?

Did I just try to take advantage of her?

What if she was just down, and feeling vulnerable? I nearly took advantage of that…

I'm no better than Keith…

Finally, I take off. The wind feels bitter against my bare arms, but none of that matters.

If Rhythmi never speaks to me again, I can't say I blame her…but can I actually live with that?

I…I really like her. I don't know about love, but I really like her. More than any other girl before.

Out of breath, I stop in the middle of the forest. The sounds of nocturnal Pokémon fill the air, but nothing can calm me right now.

I'm a confused, angry mess.

I should probably calm down before I head home. Otherwise my father will probably be asking a ton of questions. Great…

* * *

_Well, I'm terribly sorry for the delay, and that let down of an ending. Oh well. We shall be making up for it in the next chapter. ^_^_

_But so, this chapter was going to be longer...like, a lot longer, but I decided that it was getting too long, so I divided it into two chapters. The next one isn't done, but I have most of my ideas together, so yeah. Hopefully all of this will go smoothly._

_I took a ton of author's liberty in this chapter, with giving Rhythmi four other sisters. I dunno though. I think it just kind of fits for the character I've developed for her._

_Speaking of her 'sisters', we shall be meeting them in the next chapter. All of them are based off of people I know, but I'll go into detail about that later. I will say this now, however. Her older sister, Alyssa, is basically the most hypocritical character ever...more or less so. haha. I want to describe her better, but that would give away a few things for the next chapter._

_Though, my friends, I hate to tell you all this, but we are actually in the final stretch of this story. I honestly don't see this getting any bigger than nine chapters. Chapter seven will be told by Kellyn, chapter eight will be told by Rhythmi, and I'm still deciding on who will have the final words in this story. More than likely it will be Kellyn, possibly Rhythmi, but who knows. It could even be an outside character that we haven't used yet. It's still up in the air._

_Oh, and, why was Rhythmi's 'father' randomly there? Rhythmi shall explain that in her chapter._

_Until later, I hope everybody has enjoyed reading._

_Questions? Comments? Randomness? You know where to type._

_~Victoria._

_P.S ~ Considering this chapter took nearly a month, I will try my hardest to work fast on the next chapter! D:_

**_Preview of the next chapter: _**

**_Chapter Seven: Sleeping With Rhythmi...?_**

**_"Aww, he hasn't given up his v-card has he? When ya' plannin' on takin' it, Rhythmi?"_**

**_"Yeah, I worry about her a lot. I don't know if she's done it recently, but considering how much she tugs at her sleeves, she probably has, but she struggled with horrible depression in the past, and it led to really bad self-injury. She tried to kill herself once, and it terrifies me to know she may try it again...oops..."_**


	7. Sleeping With Rhythmi?

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Seven: Sleeping With Rhythmi…?

(Kellyn)

I return home, and act as if nothing is bothering me. It's an easy façade, really. My parents don't notice, and even my sister didn't seem to think anything of it.

Either I am really good at this, or they're really bad at detecting things.

* * *

**Tuesday rolls around fast, and I keep wondering if Rhythmi still wants to meet up.** She has all the reason in the world to not want to, but it would be nice to see her again.

Maybe even see if this whole, 'we almost kissed' thing has blown over.

While changing shirts, the house phone begins to ring, and when I look over at the phone, it's an unknown number.

Thinking that it could possibly be Rhythmi, I answer it. I was right.

"Thank goodness I caught you before you left. I really hate to do this, but I have to cancel on our plans." She tells me, her tone indicating that she's trying to do a few other things along with talking to me.

I open my mouth to ask if everything is alright, but she stops me by yelling at someone. "Alyssa, would you stop sucking face with whoever that is, and start helping?" She angrily asks, sighing an apology to me.

I stifle a laugh. "Do you need any help, Rhythmi?" I ask.

"No." She promptly replies. "My sister is sick, and I don't want to burden you."

"It's no burden, really. I'm the one offering." I tell her, leaning against my desk.

A small silence follows, before she finally agrees to my help. "I'll meet you where we last saw each other around one thirty." She says, her tone a bit strained when she mentioned where to meet her.

I hope she isn't mad about that…

I would be lying if I said that I had forgotten about that. It's all I've been thinking about, really.

Well…I guess if she was upset about it, she wouldn't have accepted my help.

Before I leave, I should probably at least tell someone where I'm going. Walking downstairs, I see my mother sitting on the couch, reading something.

I explain the situation to her, and she says I can go without a second thought. Huh…she sure has been lenient lately. It's almost like her and father have swapped roles…sort of.

"Just don't stay out too late, okay?" She tells me. I tell her that I won't, and begin to make my way to Pueltown. I've got a feeling that today is going to be interesting to say the least.

The walk to Pueltown felt much longer than it normally would have. Granted, I guess the last time I was going here, I was with Rhythmi, and when I left, I was far too confused to even consider time.

I spot Rhythmi sitting on a bench a few yards away, and the first thing I notice: her hair isn't straightened.

I'm not about to let this go un-commented. "Yeah, I don't know why you straighten your hair. You look beautiful." I compliment, blushing a tad.

She calmly looks over at me, and then stands up. "You're not very good at lying." She tells me.

Lying? Why does she think I'm lying? I would never lie to her! "Yeah, I'm a terrible liar. Though, I would never lie to you. Trust me, you look beautiful."

She blushes. "Thanks. It means a lot." She timidly says.

She's so cute when she's nervous.

For once, she doesn't continue to deny my compliment, and that makes me happy.

When I smile at her, she suddenly remembers that we need to get moving. I allow her to lead, and it isn't long until we reach her house.

It doesn't appear to be very big on the outside, but I certainly like the style of it. I guess it's almost like a modernized cabin.

Pausing outside, Rhythmi turns to me. "I warn you, I tend to yell a lot." She nervously tells me.

It makes me smile. "You, yell? Rhythmi, I'm shocked." I sarcastically say. She playfully rolls her eyes, and she then unlocks the door. Once inside, she announces that she's back.

Before we could even take a few steps in the living room, another blonde rushes into the room.

She's fairly tall, and her blonde hair matches Rhythmi's. Though, it's very curly in comparison, and her eyes are blue.

The girl walks over to Rhythmi, and begins to talk to her, glancing at me a few times before she does so.

"Yeah, Annabelle seems to be getting sick too…" she says in a worried tone.

Well, I am going to assume that this is Lakota. Rhythmi doesn't seem agitated by her, so it can't be Alyssa. She mentioned Annabelle, and she obviously isn't six.

Rhythmi tells her to give Annabelle a certain medicine to help prevent any other symptoms, then turns back at me. "Well, that was Lakota." She confirms.

"I figured." I tell her. "Okay, what led you to assume that?" She asks.

Strangely, this reminds me of my first day at school, when she asked me how I figured out she wasn't going to be a Ranger.

I tell her how I figured it out, and she smiles at me. "Yeah, there's no doubt that you'll make an amazing Ranger." She tells me.

I return the smile. "And I'm positive you'll be an amazing Operator."

She immediately tires to deny it, but I have to stop her. She needs to stop thinking so negatively.

"I already told you that I would never lie to you. Trust me, please." I beg, trying my best at a pleading expression. It must have worked since she's now laughing at me.

She reaches up, and messes with my hair. "You're too adorable." She says, blushing when she begins to walk away.

Adorable? I guess that's a compliment….an odd one at that. I'll take it. It may not be the manliest compliment ever, but coming from Rhythmi, it means the world to me.

"So what would you like me to help with?" I ask, following Rhythmi into the kitchen.

She sets her house key on the dark marble counter, then looks back at me. When she starts to giggle, I realize that I forgot to fix my hair. "Hang on a sec," she says, walking back over to me. She then proceeds to fix my hair, though, I can't help but blush at our close proximity.

At least it seems that the whole, 'almost kissing' thing is forgiven.

"Mostly everything has calmed down, since my parents, Alyssa, and whoever her boyfriend of this week was finally left. Though, I still have some dishes to do, so I guess you can help me with that."

We make casual conversation while doing the dishes, but when Rhythmi pushed her sleeves up, I couldn't help but scan her arms for any fresh scars.

All of them look old, and are very faint. I don't think she has cut since she told me, but it doesn't mean I don't worry. The look of despair on her face still haunts me. I never want to see her so upset again, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure she stays happy.

A knock at the door interrupts our conversation, and Rhythmi excuses herself while grabbing a towel to dry her hands.

I continue to dry a few of the dishes, listening to Rhythmi in the other room.

"What, did you forget your key?" She asks in a peeved tone.

The person laughs as they answer her. "Yeah, I did. Your boy-toy here yet?" She asks.

A tall brunette then walks into the kitchen, an angry Rhythmi following her. "One, he's not a 'boy-toy', he's my friend. Two, yes, he is here." She angrily answers.

She's so cute when she's angry. Her yellow eyes seem to hold the intensity of lightning.

I would introduce myself, but the way she is observing me with her hazel eyes has me feeling a little too nervous.

"I see you're training him well. I mean, you've gotten him to do dishes, and he can handle seeing your cotton ball hair." She says after awhile.

Rhythmi glares at her sister. "Alyssa, go away, would you?" She says, obviously trying to contain her anger.

Geez, it's easy to see that these two don't get along.

Alyssa laughs at her, leaning on the counter. "So, when are you getting this one to bed?" She asks, a grin on her face.

The glass I am holding gets dropped back into the water, and there is no doubt that I am blushing a bright crimson.

Rhythmi's eyes go wide, and she too blushes.

Laughing even more, Alyssa walks over to me, and throws an arm over my shoulder. Despite my complete embarrassment at the moment, I do realize that she is my height.

"Aww, he hasn't given up his v-card, has he? When you plannin' on takin' it, Rhythmi?" Alyssa asks, much to my disdain.

No…bad idea saying that. I'm just as human as anyone else in the room…but that was the wrong thing to say. I'm a teenager; my hormones are already running wild as it is. This doesn't help any.

Rhythmi is my friend, best friend at that. I should not have any thoughts like that about her. It's wrong…Yes, I am only human…but…thank you, Alyssa.

Rhythmi then begins to yell at Alyssa once she had removed her arm from me.

Rolling her eyes at Rhythmi, Alyssa looks back at me. "Looks like someone is thinking about having fun with my sister." She says with a cheeky grin.

Okay. I get what she is doing. She's basically complaining about herself, but using us, instead of outright saying herself.

She's easy to read. Far too easy. I think I can turn this against her. As mean as it is to say, she has obviously never had a stable relationship, so if I basically show her that I'm stable, she should back off.

I take a small breath, gathering myself so I don't mess up. "I would never force myself upon her. Even though she is a very beautiful girl, she is my best friend, and I would never want to hurt her in any way." I tell her, my tone very serious.

When Alyssa falls silent, I assume that I have won.

She then looks at Rhythmi, crossing her arms. "Have fun getting in his pants." She says, followed by a laugh as she finally takes her leave.

My face goes red again, and Rhythmi begins to mutter a few obscenities.

"I never understand girls like her. Intimacy is something to be serious about, not solicited so freely." I think aloud, quickly regretting doing so.

Rhythmi looks at me, her eyes now showing sadness. "I don't understand her either. She used to be a good girl, but after her first kiss, everything went downhill." She said, now avoiding my questioning eyes.

"It's kind of why I'm terrified to be kissed, let alone be in a relationship…I guess I just don't want to be like her." I notice a slight waver in her tone, and a glimmer of tears in her eyes.

That alone cuts me to the core. "Rhythmi." I mumble. As soon as I say that, she shakes it off, and gives me a fake smile.

I hate it when she pretends to be happy. It just makes me feel like I can't actually make her happy…

We finish the dishes in silence just in time for Lakota to return.

"I guess I can properly introduce myself this time. I'm Lakota." She introduces. I smile at her, and introduce myself.

She returns the smile. "Oh trust me, I've heard a lot about you." She says, grinning as she glances at Rhythmi.

It makes me happy to know that she has talked about me. I guess it gives me hope that maybe, just maybe she feels the same.

The rest of the evening is less eventful. Alyssa has stayed in her room, much to my relief. Lakota taunts us enough, but at least she's not as bad as her. Lakota just likes to make witty remarks, and point out things that make it seem like we both share the same feelings. Alyssa…not so much.

Lakota and Rhythmi are busy gathering the things we will need to make pasta, and I'm trying my best to stay out of the way. Who knew Rhythmi could be such a control freak in the kitchen?

The sound of light footsteps behind me pulls me out of my thoughts. Looking down behind me, I see a small girl. Her brown eyes look up at me, curiously. She doesn't appear to be too well, so I bet this is Abigale.

"Abigale, what are you doing out of bed?" Rhythmi asks.

Abigale shifts her gaze over to the blonde. "Lakota wasn't there, and I'm thirsty." She says in a meek tone, followed by a small cough.

I smile at her, and before Rhythmi can say anything, I volunteer to take care of her.

I don't really want Rhythmi stressing more so than she already is.

Once I have her a glass of water, Abigale leads me to her room, and then asks me to get her stuffed Pokémon since she can't reach it.

"The one on the top shelf." She instructs.

Okay…that doesn't help much, considering there are at least four or five stuffed Pokémon up there. "Piplup?" I ask, hoping I've made a good guess.

"Yeah!" She says in a happy tone.

I chuckle to myself as I grab the stuffed Piplup, and then hand it to her once she has finally gotten back in her bed.

Oh the innocence of being a child. Nothing to really worry about. I'd give just about anything to go back to those days.

She thanks me with a warm smile, and I head back to the kitchen.

When I walk into the kitchen, I see that Rhythmi and Lakota seem to be taking in harsh whispers. I wonder what about…?

Rhythmi notices me, and they immediately go quiet. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were talking about me.

Eh, that seems like I am full of myself. If either of them had something to say to me, I'm sure they'd say it to my face, especially Lakota. That girl just doesn't really seem to have a filter.

Lakota begins to laugh a bit, looking from me to Rhythmi.

Now I'm really confused.

Walking over to the counter, Rhythmi scans her eyes over everything placed there. She then excuses herself to go look for something.

Pasta sauce, I presume.

Lakota leans on the counter, resting her head in her palm, and begins to think aloud.

"Yeah, I worry about her a lot," she begins, now looking directly at me. "I don't know if she's done it recently, but considering how much she tugs at her sleeves, she probably has." She pauses to sigh.

I think I know where she's going with this…

"She struggled with horrible depression in the past, and it led to really bad self-injury. She even tried to kill herself once, and it terrifies me to know that she may try it again." Her eyes widen when she realizes what she has said. "Oops."

My eyes in turn widen.

Tried…to kill herself? You mean, I may have not met her…?

Words cannot even begin to express the level of concern I have for her.

There's no doubt in my mind that I will always make sure she's alive, and happy. I'll do whatever it takes to show her, if I can, that life is worth living.

Seeing my expression, Lakota quickly adds, "though, I honestly doubt that she would try again. She didn't really have anyone to comfort her then, seeing as I was too young to understand what to do, and Alyssa never knew about it. She has you now." She says, a smile.

"You'll protect her, even from herself, won't you?" She asks, now using a more serious tone.

You know, coming from her younger sister, this seems like an odd question to be asked, but she deserves to hear my answer. "I'd protect her with my life. There isn't really anything that would keep me from doing so."

Okay, that probably sounded lame beyond belief. At least Lakota seems happy about the answer.

After a few more seconds of mindless conversation, Rhythmi returns with a sigh. "So, I just realized that we don't have any pasta sauce." She says.

Lakota rolls her eyes at her. "Rhythmi, why didn't you think of that sooner?"

"I thought there was some!" She objects, crossing her arms.

Looking between the two girls, I suggest that we make homemade sauce. It's not that complicated, really. I've made it plenty of times when I had to cook for my sister and me.

Lakota leaves us to go check on Annabelle and Abigale while we begin to cook.

At first, it was just innocent, me instructing her on what to do, but then I noticed that we kept ending up closer to one another. It got to the point where we were standing right next to each other.

There was plenty of room in the kitchen, yet we seem to be right next to each other…why am I complaining?

At dinner, I finally get to meet everyone, and luckily, Alyssa has yet to join us.

Abigale and Annabelle look a lot alike. If there wasn't an obvious age difference, I probably would have assumed that they were twins, or at least had the same father.

"I like him. He cooks better than you." Annabelle comments, looking at Rhythmi with a grin.

I can't help but laugh as Rhythmi rolls her eyes. "Oh, pardon me. I'm sorry I'm not going to culinary school." She says in a dry tone.

Before anyone can say anything in response, the voice of Alyssa distracts us. "So, what's for dinner?" She asks, walking into the dining area, and scanning over the table. She then walks over to me and ruffles my hair.

Unlike when Rhythmi had done that, I immediately fix my it. "Aww, he can cook, too? You sure can pick the keepers, Mimi." She says, now looking at Rhythmi.

At the mentioning of the nickname, I notice Rhythmi give her an angry glare. "Either join us, or leave." She grumbles, avoiding looking anyone.

Alyssa walks away without another word, and begin to wonder why Rhythmi got so upset when Alyssa called her 'Mimi'.

Later into the evening, after helping Rhythmi do some cleaning in the kitchen, I realize that if I don't leave soon, I won't get home till well after midnight. Oh great…

Rhythmi left a few seconds ago to go make sure that Abigale had gone to sleep, and when she returns, we hear rain on the roof. Even better.

We both sigh. "'I still have your jacket." She offers. As if on cue, the rain begins to fall harder, and lightning flashes.

The following thunder makes Rhythmi jump, and we both sigh again.

Well, isn't this just perfect? Just my luck…

"I'm not really confortable with you leaving when it's starting to storm." She tells me, giving me a worried look.

I look at her yellow eyes, and have to force myself to remember to talk. "Well, I guess I don't really have a ton of options." I reply.

She's giving me the look that says, "I want to say something, but I'm scared of how you'll react."

"I-if you want, and I know this will be an odd offer, but like I said, I'm not too keen on the idea of you leaving right now." She begins, nervously messing with the hem of her shirt. "If you would like, you can stay the night. I understand if you don't want to! I just…thought it would be best to put the offer out there." She nervously finishes.

Well, I understand from both angles on why she is offering this, and why it's probably not a good idea. I'm a guy, of course I'd never try anything, but her parents don't know that.

Though, I don't know what the weather is going to do. It may or may not blow over soon, and I really don't like the idea of walking for about three hours in the rain.

"I don't know. Your parents probably wouldn't like that." I tell her, nervously rubbing the back of my neck.

She shrugs. "They're actually our of town for a week, so unless I tell them, they won't know." She reasons.

Okay, that does rule that out, but still…

"If you do leave, you had better promise to call me when you get home. Though, I'm not too thrilled to be waiting a few hours just to know that you're okay. Wait…that sounded wrong." She grumbles to herself.

Obviously she's very worried, and I can see why.

Okay, I've made up my mind. If it doesn't look like this storm will be over anytime soon, I'll stay and call home, if it's going to blow over in a little while, I'll wait then leave.

"Let's check the weather." I begin, then telling her of what I have planned.

She nods, and we then head into the living room to turn on the television. After waiting for the commercials to be over with, we intently wait for the weather report.

"Hurricane Allen made landfall a little over an hour ago, and it seems he's already made it to Pueltown. Reports of damage have already been called in, and it seems Almia is in for a rough night. As always, we'll be airing all night, keeping everyone up to date with information." The male news anchor said.

Looking at one another, I do my best to give her a smile. "Looks like that settles things. Got a phone I can use?" I ask.

She returns the 'smile'. "In the kitchen. I'll show you." She says, beginning to walk back towards the kitchen.

The news anchor then says something about a different city, making Rhythmi stop. "Actually, I'll be there in a second. Mom's there tonight." She says, her tone trailing.

I nod, then head into the kitchen. Once I have located the phone, I reluctantly dial home. After a few rings, dad picks up.

Not who I wanted to speak to.

"Hey, it's Kellyn. Is mom around?" I ask.

I receive a prompt no, and am then asked what I did.

"Well, I'm pretty much stuck at Rhythmi's. The storm already hit here, and it probably wouldn't be too safe to head home right now." I tell him.

A feeling of dread overtakes me when there is a silence, only broken by the faint background noise of the television.

"Boy, you better get your ass home right now." He threatens.

Just what I expected him to say. I stifle a sigh. "Dad, I can't get home." I try to reason, but he cuts me off. "Oh yes you can. Get walking!" He says, his tone taking on a new level.

Great…I've succeeded in pissing him off…wonderful.

Though, I have this idiotic nerve to challenge him. "Dad, come on. She's my friend, nothing more. Nothing will happen."

I hear him sigh. "You're my son, I know you better than you think. Get home." He says.

If he thinks that we're going to…have sex, then he is very, very off track. "You know, normally you're the lenient one, but now, you're acting like mom used to." I tell him, quickly regretting doing so.

I half-expect him to yell at me more, but he mumbles something away from the phone. "Fine," he says. "You can stay, but so help me Arceus if I find out you two did anything." He warns.

I assure him that nothing will happen, say bye, then place the phone back on its receiver.

A heavy sigh passes my lips. Setting my hands on the counter, I shake my head.

I hear Rhythmi enter the kitchen, and when I look up, she places her hands atop mine. She gives me a shy smile, and I can't help but return it.

A very slight blush tints her cheeks, and I can feel myself growing nervous.

"I should have just told you to stay home. I feel bad for basically getting you in trouble." She apologizes.

I shrug in response. "It's alright."

We continue to smile at one another, not daring to look away.

"Say, what was that phone call about?" Lakota asks, walking in on us.

Rhythmi reluctantly removes her hands from mine. "It seems I'm stuck here tonight." I simply tell her.

Her eyes go wide, and she then looks at Rhythmi. "Talk. Now." She rushes, dragging her into another room.

Way to make it obvious that she's talking about me. Oh well. As I said earlier, I'm not too worried.

I wonder if she's worried that Rhythmi is doing something Alyssa might do. Sure, I don't know Alyssa that well, but having a guy stay over for not-so-innocent reasons seems like something she may do.

While waiting for Rhythmi to return, I muse over everything. I wonder how angry my parents will be tomorrow…

Going home doesn't seem like something I really want to do right now.

I neglect to notice Rhythmi returning, so I jump when she speaks. "I guess we should clean some more." She says, not looking at me.

We clean, talk, and by the time we're done, it's almost eleven. Afterwards, we decide to head into the living room to watch some movies.

Flipping though the channels, we stop on a horror movie. It wasn't even my idea. I didn't know that she liked horror movies.

Interesting to know.

The first movie, nothing was horrible. Typical scary movie. Though, it did cause Rhythmi to jump a few times, and by the middle of the next movie, we were practically cuddling on the couch.

I can feel her shaking against me, and her eyes are glued to the screen. My arm is around her…I can't resist.

Moving my hand, I grab her side, and say, "ahh!"

She screams a bit, and moves away from me.

I laugh as I shield myself from her hitting me. "You jerk!" She says. I laugh a bit as she hits my arm. "Stop laughing! That wasn't funny!" She grumbles, now facing away from me.

"Yes it was." I object, continuing to laugh.

I glance at the clock, and notice that it's almost two in the morning. Wow. Where did the time go?

"You're a jerk, no it wasn't." She says, trying to contain her laughter. I smirk. "Then why are you laughing?" I ask.

She turns to face me, and I can see by the look in her eyes that she is beyond tired. This should be interesting.

"You're…lucky I'm tired." She says in a yawn.

After watching the rest of the movie, it switches over to some infomercial. Just as I begin to yawn, I feel Rhythmi leaning on me. Stopping mid-yawn, I look down at her, and notice that she's fast asleep. How precious.

Smiling, I don't bother to wake her. She'll probably wake up soon, and then head to her room. I'm not too worried…

Hours later, a loud clap of thunder awakens me. Normally, depending on the hour, I would go right back to sleep after being awoken by something like this. However, this time, it is not the case.

I can feel my arms around something, or rather _someone_. Propping myself up, I see that my arm is around Rhythmi, we both are lying on the couch, and a blanket has been placed over us.

I should be freaking out, but I'm still far too tired to be worried. I lye back down, and reinforce my light grip around her waist. Taking a deep breath, it puts me at enough of a calm to allow me to easily fall back asleep.

I won't lie. It was probably the best sleep I've had in awhile.

The early morning rays of the sun awake me a couple of hours later. When I move my arm, I feel that Rhythmi is no longer beside me, and it almost disappoints me.

Sitting up, I stretch my arms, and survey my surroundings. It seems to be sunny outside, meaning I will probably have to leave shortly, and Rhythmi is beginning to make her way down the stairs.

"Morning, Kellyn." She greets with a smile.

Hmm…maybe I should just pretend that I don't know about earlier.

I return the greeting, and end up staying a little longer to help with breakfast. After we finished with that, I began to take my leave.

Standing at the door, Rhythmi and I say our goodbyes. "Thanks, for uh, letting me stay." I nervously thank.

She smiles at me. "No problem." She says, before we hug. When we pull away, we hold onto one another, and Rhythmi then leans up and pecks me on the cheek.

"Thank you so much for all of your help." She says, us now standing apart.

A blush tints both of our cheeks, but I'm trying me best to not appear to be nervous. "You're welcome. So…do we want to hangout sometime again before school starts?" I ask.

She nods, saying that she would love to.

With that, I take my leave. The storm seems to have changed the air to a much cooler temperature, and the mostly cloudy sky seems to give me a strange sense of calm.

The cool breeze keeps my mind clear till I get close to home. All of my nervousness returns, and my pace slows.

When I get home, I stand outside the door for a few minutes, contemplating everything. "Well, better get this over with…" I mumble to myself.

Opening the door, I timidly announce that I am home. Nobody seems to be here…

"Oh, hey! Welcome back!" My mother calls, leaving the laundry room. She sets the laundry basket down, then walks into the main room. "You're not mad, are you?" I ask, avoiding her eyes.

"Well, did you two do anything you shouldn't have?" She asks, placing her hands on her hips.

I shake my head. "I helped her take care of her sisters, and after calling home, we watched a few movies." I explain. Sure, I mean, sleeping next to one another probably isn't something she would want to hear, but what she doesn't know shouldn't hurt me. Hopefully.

She smiles. "And see, I trust you. You're my son, and I like to think that I've raised you to be a good gentlemen. You know what's right and what's not. I trust that you have good judgment, and you've yet to give me a reason to doubt any of that." She explains.

Well, it's good to know that at least she trusts me…

"You see, your father is only acting so strict lately because he's worried. I got pregnant with you at Rhythmi's age, and I guess he just assumes that you two have that close of a relationship. I've talked to him, so you don't have to worry about anything." She finishes.

I thank her, but she then immediately volunteers me to finish the laundry. I should have expected so.

* * *

**The Friday before school starts was the day we decided on later.** As usual, we met up at Vientown, and walked around. While walking, Rhythmi tells me that she had run into Keith and Kate when she was leaving Pueltown, and that she saw them holding hands.

Mark my word; if he ever hurts her, he's dead.

Rhythmi then tells me that Kate gave her one of the incomplete yearbooks to look at so she could get her opinion so far, and because she would be interested in a certain page.

We both agree to look at it later.

It isn't long till it's nightfall, and we had ended up by the riverfront.

Sitting on one of the stonewalls by the river, the moon is our only source of illumination, and we begin to look through the yearbook.

Most of it isn't complete, but Rhythmi's picture is in there. Her picture is of her sitting on the Pledge Stone, looking at the sky.

I tell her that it's a nice picture, but she doesn't think so. Typical.

We continue to look through pictures, until we get to the 'Awards' section. The first few provide a few laughs, but when we flip the page to the next award, we both stop.

A can feel my face heating up.

The award? 'Cutest Couple' and it's the picture Kate took of us awhile back.

"C-cutest couple? I think Kate needs to do her research before she titles things." I comment.

"I-I warned you." Rhythmi says, pulling her arms close to herself.

"I mean…that's a ridiculous idea." I comment as we avoid one another's gaze.

Rhythmi finally looks back at me. "Well, I mean…it's not a completely ridiculous idea. I guess I can see why someone might think. We are around each other a lot, and we are really good friends, so…it's not completely stupid…" she tells me, shaking and blushing due to her own nervousness.

I turn a bit to fully look at her, and tell her that she's right.

Okay…I'm done holding it all in. I honestly can't take it anymore. I have to tell her.

I stand up, and the quick flash of a Volbeat catches my attention. Well, moonlit field, Illumise and Volbeat filling the air. I say that this is the perfect time to tell her.

I extend my hand to Rhythmi, and after placing the book on the wall, she takes my offer.

Our fingers entwine as I lead her to the middle of the field. She smiles the whole way, and it makes me smile in turn. Seeing her happy, makes me nothing more than happy. It also gives me hope that she feels the same.

When I let go of her hand, we immediately hug, though, this time her arms around my neck, and my arms are around her waist.

Without even the slightest bit of hesitation, when we pull apart, we kiss.

My heart leaps when I know that it's not a one-way kiss. She's kissing me back, and I guess that's all I can ask for.

When I went to reinforce my grip around her waist, I must have caught the hem of her shirt, resulting me grazing her skin just a bit. I think nothing of it, and pull her closer to me.

She suddenly pulls away, slaps me hard, and gives me a horrified look.

Oh shit…was…was I wrong…?

* * *

_You all probably hate me by now, with these letdown endings, and my taking forever to update. _

_This was a tough chapter. I had so much I wanted to do, and I actually had a pretty hard time organizing everything. That, and studying for finals and such is a pain...but hey, I'm free of school for the summer as of June 4. _

_But then...my crammed summer begins. I will be lucky to write at all over the summer DX Like always, I shall try my hardest. _

_P.S~ You have no clue how badly I wanted to make a 'get back in the kitchen' joke _

_P.P.S~ Remember how I said that this story would probably not exceed ten chapters? Well, I may or may not be wrong. I have recently thought of something, and I can't make myself not want to write it. _  
_So yeah... DON'T LISTEN TO ME, I'M JUST A CRAZY LADY!_

~  
_** Preview of the next chapter: Wish**_

"She...won't even look at me..."


	8. Wish

Shadows of My Heart

Chapter Eight: Wish

(Rhythmi)

Oh no…no, no, no, no, _no!_ I did not just do that! I did not just ruin everything…oh, but I probably have.

His expression is probably just as terrified as mine…well, in simplest terms: I've fucked everything up.

I didn't intentionally slap him. It was just…the feeling of his hand against my skin reminded me of, and I am disgusted to say this, Keith…

It was a natural reaction, I suppose…

"I-I'm so sorry, Rhythmi," he apologizes, his tone cracking. "I shouldn't have done that…I-I should have at-at least asked," he continues.

When I take a step towards him, he steps back. Wow, I've really terrified him. "Kellyn, no, I didn't mean to. I wanted to kiss you! I just…got freaked out is all," I mumble.

It doesn't seem to really be getting to him. Great. Just great. I can feel myself beginning to shake, and my eyes are burning at the anticipation of tears. I don't want to lose him! I know this may be the wrong way to approach this, but it's all I can think to do. Moving forward, I force myself to hug him, and I let my tears begin to fall. "Please…don't leave me, Kellyn," I mumble.

At first, I don't feel him react in any way, but after a few seconds, he finally wraps his arms around me, holding me tightly.

"E-Everyone always leaves…please don't be one of them," I beg, now unable to control my tears.

He pulls away from me, and then cups my face with his hands. "I won't. That thought never even crossed my mind," he tells me in a very sincere tone. He then wipes the tear rolling down my cheek, and gives me a weak smile. "But could you tell me what I did wrong? I'd really hate to do that again," he asks.

I smile. "It was more my fault, Kellyn. I just surprised myself, and it…" I really don't want to finish this…

He sighs. "I did something Keith did, didn't I?" He assumes.

My smile disappears. He's right; I just hate to tell him. "W-when your hand touched my back…it was one of the spots Keith had his hand…and…" oh, Arceus, this is probably not what he wants to hear.

Despite my thoughts, Kellyn smiles at me, removes his hands from my face, and then grabs my hands. "Rhythmi, if you're worried that I'm upset by that in anyway, don't be. It's more than understandable. I never want to do anything to make you uncomfortable. I'll admit," he pauses, blushing. "I was getting a little ahead of myself."

I also blush. "Then I guess I was too," I nervously tell him.

* * *

**From there, well, I guess I can just be my on-cloud-nine-self and say that everything has been pretty perfect.** For the longest time, I was a giggly, blushing mess.

Of course, now that I look back on everything, it was blatantly obvious that we liked each other. Oh well. I'm not going to sit and worry about that. The only thing I have to worry about is graduation…oh yeah…the day we'll probably be split up. My luck, we'll get stationed in different regions.

I do dread that day. It is getting close. Outdoor Class has already happened, and that usually takes place a week before school lets out for the summer. Great…why did I remind myself?

* * *

**Walking into the common rooms, after having dinner with Kate, I see Kellyn still sitting at one of the desks, pencil in hand, and his eyes staring at a piece of paper.** "You need to take a break," I say, walking over to him.

He glances up for a second, only to return his ocean gaze to the paper. "Can't. I want this to be perfect," he tells me.

I roll my eyes. Ever since he was informed that he is going to be the Ranger Class Valedictorian, he's been insane on the speech. It's been well over a month, and he's still not finished. I thought he had completed it awhile back, but with it now being the last week of school, he's been revising it like crazy.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I then rest my head atop his, and scan over the paper. "Come take a walk with me. It'll clear your mind," I tell him.

He contemplates it for a few seconds before smiling. "I guess I could use a break," he says as I move away from him.

Holding hands, we walk down to the pier, and watch the sun set. It's simple moments like this that make me wish it didn't have to end…

No matter how many times I tell myself, "Enjoy it while you can!" it never makes me feel any better…

* * *

**Graduation day.** Roughly two years ago, I don't think I could have even pictured this day. It's really hard to believe that all of my hard work is about to pay off. Sure, it was a tough road, way too much I even would like to think about, but…wow. It's almost overwhelming.

We've already walked down the isle, and the Valedictorians are about to begin their speech. Isaac is the Engineer Class Valedictorian, Kellyn is the Ranger Class Valedictorian, and some girl I've never spoken to is the Operator Class Valedictorian.

Isaac and the girl's speeches were short, and it was easy to see that they were nervous. If Kellyn's speech is as long as it was when he practiced last, he's certainly going to show them up.

Kellyn steps up to the podium, and smiles. "Good evening, lades and gentlemen, friends and family, teachers and administrators. We stand, gathered together to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2011 Class of Almia's Ranger School." He introduces, scanning the crowd.

"To my fellow classmates, we've made it. We've finally made it. We are graduating. Congratulations, but not only to us, for achieving excellence in out fields of study, but also congratulations to our teachers, parents, friends, families, and administrators. Our success is your success, for you have given us the freedom to dare, the courage to excel, and the belief that we can achieve our best. You have been there with support and care; you had faith when we doubted ourselves. You were there to stop us from running in the halls, and you were there to teach us how to 'take over the world' one perfect capture at a time."

A bit of laughter fills the outdoor arena. Looking over slightly, I see that even Mr. Kincaid is even laughing a little. It was simple, but I knew it would go over well. Besides, what's a good speech without a little comedy relief?

"Together for the last time, we stand poised at the very edge of graduation, looking towards a bright future. Soon each of us will go forth, in his or her unique direction, seeking to make our mark upon the world.

"We stand, as if before a row of thousands of doors, each door different from another, each potent with opportunities for every one of us. We must try at these doors, opening them to look at what lies within. Passing through some doors, we will have to set aside fear and prejudice before we may advance. To unlock others, we will have to uphold our sense of justice and dignity. If a door suddenly shuts before us, we cannot be discouraged, but instead must look for the sudden opening of another. Our adulthood, so long anticipated, has now arrived. We have grown up. We must seize our future and taking it into our own hands, do with it what we will, striving towards excellence.

"We join forth now, in hope and inspiration, all of us sharing our common legacy–all of us, proud Pokémon rangers, operators, and engineers. With Almian pride, may we go forth to prevail!

"Thank you, once again, for your time."

At that, the crowd cheers and claps, and even though I myself am clapping and doing my best to be cheerful, I cannot help but be overcome by the sinking feeling in my chest. A week from today, I will be leaving for Fiore, while Kellyn stays here in Almia…

* * *

**I can't sleep…not one little bit.**

I've been tossing and turning for hours now, yet sleep refuses to come to me. I'm terrified. I know this. I leave soon, and this has me so very nervous.

Turning onto my side, I see my clock reading three thirteen in the morning. I have to be at the boat docks at seven, and we depart at nine thirty.

I'm so nervous…I'm leaving everything behind. I always knew this day would come. Sure, I had my doubts, but I knew it was inevitable.

This week went by so fast. Between spending time with my sisters and Kellyn, it felt like I had no time for anything.

After lying there for a few more hours, I finally decide to get up. I finish the remainder of my packing, and make sure my room is completely clean before heading downstairs.

Leaving my bag next to the door, I head into the kitchen.

"Morning," Lakota greets me.

I return the greeting with a tired yawn. Little conversation is passed between us as we prepare breakfast.

Alyssa isn't here –no surprise.

Everyone else slowly begins to wake up, and after a brief breakfast we start to make our way to the docks. I'm beginning to shake from nervousness. I haven't been this anxious in such a long time…

A lot of other people are already here saying their goodbyes. The whole scene is pretty sad.

I look at my sisters, and tears are building in the corners of my eyes. "You two take care, and tell mom I'll be writing to her," I say to them.

Lakota nods, her curly hair hiding her eyes. Annabelle and Abigale give me sad looks. I hug each of them then give Lakota a hug. "Now, don't let Alyssa get to you, okay? You did just fine while I was at school, so I have full confidence in you." I know she's scared. She's only fifteen; I can't blame her.

Lakota gives me a look of confidence, and I watch as she wipes away some tears from her blue eyes.

I hug everyone again, and with that, I begin to leave. I pick up my back, and begin to walk through the thick of the crowd. There is still plenty of time before I actually have to be on board, but I really don't feel like prolonging my leave. This is already painful enough as is.

"Rhythmi, wait!"

Upon hearing my name, I stop and turn around. A bunch of people are around me, obscuring my view.

Maybe I was just hearing things?

When I resume walking, I feel someone grab my wrist. I violently turn around, not knowing what to expect. However, I am quick to smile. I drop my bag, and wrap my arms around the guy's neck and hug him.

He laughs, returning the hug. "C'mon now, you didn't think I would let you leave without saying goodbye, did you?" He asks.

I giggle as I pull away from the hug. I then notice his change in attire. He's wearing his ranger uniform, and he looks really good in it. "The uniform looks good on you," I tell him, smiling.

"Thanks," he simply replies,

We embrace one another again, and just stand there for some time. I'm going to miss him so much. Arceus only knows where I would be right now without him. He helped me out of my shell, and helped me heal, mentally. He knew how to keep me calm when no one else could. I've never met anyone like him…and here I am…losing him…

Kellyn leans down and pecks my forehead, then gently pushes me away. He grabs my hands, and looks at me with a sad smile. "Before you go, we should talk," he tells me.

This simple sentence causes a slight pain in my chest. I nod, knowing that words will probably resist meeting my lips.

"I don't want us to break up, but I do realize that we'll be apart for quite some time," he begins, keeping nervous eye contact. "If you happen to meet someone in Fiore who is better than me, I don't want you to worry about hurting me. I want you happy."

I look towards the ground.

It's stupid of me to say this considering my young age, but I know I'll never meet someone better than Kellyn.

Quite some time ago, I read something that said everyone always meets at least one person who they will never forget. They'll never forget them in the sense that the impact that person had on their life is so significant, it cannot be forgotten no matter what.

For me, this is Kellyn.

As I said earlier, he could calm me when no one else could. He makes me feel like I'm on top of the world. Nobody can compare to that, right? Arceus forbid, but even if we did go our separate ways, I know I'll never forget him. I owe him so much.

"No one can compare to you, Kellyn," I say when I look back up at him.

He smiles. "Well, _if_ you do, don't let me hold you back. I'll be waiting no matter what. I know you're going to be an amazing operator, so I'm willing to place bets on you'll be selected to come back to Almia for a top operator position." I think the idea of this is a little fictitious, but I hope he's right.

"I'll do my best," I simply tell him. "But you'll keep in touch, right?" I quickly add.

"Nothing could stop me," he replies, kissing my cheek.

We lean in for a kiss, and the rush I feel is no less powerful than our first…well…before I slapped him. Heh. I still feel bad about that.

We spend some more time together, and just before he walks me to the check-in line, he hands me a letter. Apparently he bumped into someone on his way here. He wouldn't tell me who, saying that I would find out when I read it.

I'm going to miss him.

I'm going to miss my sisters. Yes. Even Alyssa.

I'm going to miss my mother.

I'm going to miss everyone, but I have a good feeling about this. It may be awhile before I see Almia in person again, but I think Fiore will be a good change of pace. I can't wait.

Maybe once I get on the ship and into my cabin, I'll read that letter. I have time though. Fiore is quite a distance from here. I think the trip is about five days.

I'll return to Almia, Kellyn…just you wait.

* * *

"Hey, Mimi. Okay, you know I'm not one for all that mushy shit. I wasn't about to come embarrass myself by seeing you off. I am sorry about that. Some lousy sister I turned out to be, huh? I never set the right example, but I guess by that you learned what not to do. You were always really smart. I've never doubted that. I'm proud of you, ya know? You had the courage to do what I never could. I threw my life away, but you applied yourself and went to school. I'm glad Lakota learned to look up to you, not me. She's going to do great things, just like you. Annabelle and Abigale too. Kellyn is a cutie, and a real catch. I meant it when I told you that you sure can pick them. I wish I had someone who cared about me as much as Kellyn does about you. I can see it in his eyes. There is nothing but pure sincerity there. You're a lucky girl. Anyways, enough of this. Best of luck to you in Fiore. If you are ever able to come back, maybe I can drag my stupid ass to come see you. I know Lakota is pissed that I didn't see you off. Again, sorry. Good luck. Love you. ~Alyssa."

* * *

Well, contrary to what all the previous author's comments said, this is the last chapter. After nearly nine months of waiting, I deliver this piece of crap to you all.

For that I am sorry.

I felt it was time to wrap this up. This story was dead, but needed some closure. I didn't want to just drop it. I knew that was worse, but even then, I do realize that BS'ing the ending is not much better. I'm terribly sorry for the disappointment.

I had so much planned for this chapter, and what would have been the next, but ultimately, that was my downfall. I just had _too much_ to work with. I couldn't possibly begin to put it together properly if I tried.

I made the executive decision to just wrap this up in a sloppy little package. I can't express how sorry I am for this.

Oh well. It's all done and over with now. This is one less fic off of my to do list, and I can now start working on some one-shots for Voicemailshipping.

I do hope that some people grew to love this paring as much as I do.

I don't have much to say about this chapter. I do realize that I left way too many things unsaid/unanswered. Again, sorry. Maybe one day I can go make some one-shots answering some of these unanswered questions.

Like, just how did Rhythmi become a Top Operator? I had a back story to that, but I suppose I shall just leave that for another day.

Did Keith ever redeem himself/apologize completely? The answer is ultimately, yes, he did.

I feel bad that I didn't use the original "next chapter preview" quote. Oh well. It went along with something I couldn't fit in.

(the link to where I got Kellyn's speech to adapt, is on this chapter on deviantArt)

Oh, yeah, and Rhythmi's part about meeting someone you'll never forget? That's basically how I feel about my ex, John. Hehe.

Well, I believe I have taken up enough of your time. Thank you, all, for reading! It was a pleasure to write this, even though in the end I struggled.

I will tell you one last thing: I'm about to go through, updating all the chapters with some gramatical fixes. Nothing in the plot will change. Rhythmi's attitude in Chapter Two, and some titles willl have been changed, but mostly it was just gramatical fixes.

Until later,

~Victoria.

-

**If anyone is interested, this is the rough story behind my absence. **

**The last time this story was updated, I was about to go on a huge Europe trip. It was amazing, and I wish I could relive the experience. I met so many people and saw so many amazing things. One of the guys on the trip even asked me out in Paris. How many american girls can say that their very first boyfriend asked them out in Paris, France? I'm willing to bet not many. **

**Anyways, over time, we went our separate ways, but we have remained good friends. You'll see him, John, later in this story. **

**Marching season came as soon as I got back from Europe, and that took up all of my time. I am the field commander for the marching band, and for those who don't know, that leaves me with a ton of responsibilities. It was tough managing a band of almost 100 people, all by myself. I had an assistant field commander, but she quit band all together in the middle of the season. It was for the better. She and I have a strong rivalry, and it's not a friendly rivalry either. She takes it to levels that shouldn't be considered. **

**Anyways, marching season was tough. So very tough on my emotions. Pushing John away hurt me more than I ever realized, but it would take me till September to realize how much I missed him, when I happened to run into him at a marching competition. Beside the point. **

**I could go into great detail, but I'll just give you an overview: **

**I got into a new relationship, and due to lingering feelings for John, I broke up with him. The other guy, Shane, then began to furiously fuck with my emotions. He was breaking me, emotionally, more than anyone else has. The pain still gets to me today. He has left me with so many trust issues, and he drove me insane. **

**I'm already emotionally/mentally unstable. Very unstable. He fucked me up so bad. **

**I felt like everything wasn't worth it. I was tried of everything. Even though I had finally gotten the courage to speak to John again, it wasn't enough. (John is the only person I have met so far who can keep me calm and feeling okay, by just being around me.) **

**John wasn't enough, nothing was. **

**So, I had it. I was done. I was tired of my emotions being fucked with. I was tired of bloody wrists and sleepless nights. I was done. Plain and simple. **

**December 21, 2011. I was being rather dark and reclusive around my friends. The friends that follow me on Tumblr noticed. My friend, Brandon, started talking to me. He talked to me for almost two hours. He was trying so hard to convince me that I wasn't worthless and that I was a good friend. Things like that. **

**I didn't care. My mind was made. Once we stopped talking, my other friend, Jenna, started texting me. She knew that I was a suicide risk. She talked me out of it back in April. **

**However, this time, I wasn't going to let even her stop me. **

**I had a handful of pills sitting in front of me. I don't know if it would have actually killed me or not. At the least I would have been sent to the hospital. **

**Jenna asked if I was going to be okay, and I lied to her, saying that I was going to be alright. I was just about to start taking everything, when my phone went off again. I thought it was Jenna, so I at least checked it. **

**It turned out to be John. The gist of the text was him saying that I wasn't annoying him, he didn't hate me, and how he didn't want me to die. **

**I replied, but that wasn't going to stop me. **

**Not even a few seconds later, he was calling me. I answered, and he stayed up, talking me out of it. He stayed on the phone with me until I was okay. **

**He then had to do this again, just a few weeks ago. **

**I owe John a lot. More than anyone, really. **

**I'm not okay. No, this isn't me being all, "GIVE ME SYMPATHYYY!" I don't want sympathy. I just wanted anyone who cares to know the story. **

**I'm getting better. I haven't self-injured since January 17. It's been tough. **

**Sorry for typing out my sob story. If you took the time for reading, thanks. It means a lot. **

**Again, **

**Until later,**

**Victoria. ~**


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